Why People Leave Rugs in Their Carts Before Paying

What’s Going On with Rug Stores?

Let’s start with the bad news. Most people who click around on online rug shops don’t actually buy anything.

In fact, around 70% of rug shoppers leave their cart without paying. That means if 100 people put a rug in their cart, only 30 might buy it. The other 70 just leave. That’s a big problem.

If you run a rug store, this is like watching money fall through a hole in your pocket.

Why is this happening?

The Big Problem: Buying a Rug Is Not Easy

People are not buying rugs like they buy socks or phone chargers. Rugs are big. Rugs are expensive. And rugs need to fit in a space—visually and physically.

Here are the top reasons people quit before buying:

1. They can’t tell if the rug will match their room.
2. They’re not sure if the size is right.
3. They don’t trust the colors they see on the screen.
4. They want to touch it first.
5. They think it might be hard to return.

These are real problems. And when buyers feel unsure, they walk away.

But let’s talk about how AR is starting to fix this.

What Is AR, Really?

AR stands for Augmented Reality. That sounds techy, but here’s what it means:

You open your phone. You go to a rug page. You tap a button that says “see this rug in your room.” Then, through your phone’s camera, you can see what that rug looks like on your actual floor. In real time. No app. No downloading.

It’s like magic, but real. And it works.

What Happens When Shops Use AR

When rug stores add this “see it in your room” thing, something big happens.

Let’s look at what the numbers say:

1. Cart Abandonment Drops

On average, rug stores that add AR see a drop in cart abandonment between 25% to 40%.

So if your store had 70% of people walking away before, you might bring that number down to 42% or even 30%.

2. Time Spent on Site Goes Up

People using AR tools spend more time on the site. Why? Because they’re trying different rugs. Checking sizes. Looking at colors in different lighting. That’s good behavior. These are the people who are close to buying.

Some shops report 30% to 50% more time spent on product pages after adding AR.

3. Return Rates Go Down

One of the biggest costs for rug stores is returns. When buyers can see rugs in their space ahead of time, they’re less likely to send them back. Some rug stores say their return rate dropped by 22% to 35% after adding AR.

Real Brands Are Already Doing This

Let’s look at a few examples:

• RugVista saw a big increase in conversions after adding AR.
• Burrow added AR for rugs and saw more confident buyers.
• IKEA (even though not a rug-only brand) shows that customers love trying products in their space before buying.

You don’t need to be a huge brand to do this. Even small Shopify or WooCommerce stores can add simple AR buttons with just a line of code.

So Why Isn’t Everyone Using It?

Good question.

Here are a few reasons:

• Some shop owners think it’s too expensive. (It’s not. Some tools are even free.)
• Others think it’s too techy. (Again, it’s not. The hard part is already done by the AR tool providers.)
• Some think it won’t help that much. (But the data shows otherwise.)

The truth is, rug shops that are not using AR are falling behind.

What You Can Do Now (If You Sell Rugs Online)

Here’s what smart rug stores are doing:

1. Add AR to product pages. It should be the kind that works in the browser—no apps needed. Just a “see this in your room” button.
2. Use the right image formats. AR works best when product photos are clean, taken from above, and show real scale.
3. Track your numbers. Before and after AR is added, keep an eye on: Cart abandonment rates
   Average time spent on pages Conversion rates Return rates
4. Cart abandonment rates
5. Average time spent on pages
6. Conversion rates
7. Return rates
8. Tell your visitors about it. Say “Try this rug in your space” or “See it in your room now.” Keep it plain and simple.
9. Make sure it works fast. If the AR takes too long to load, people will still bounce.

A Quick Example with Fake Numbers (Just to Show the Impact)

Let’s say you have a small rug shop:

• 1,000 people visit your site each month
• 100 add rugs to their cart
• Only 30 check out (70% abandonment)

Now you add AR. What happens?

• Maybe only 40 leave their cart (cart abandonment drops to 40%)
• Now you have 60 people paying instead of 30
• That’s double the sales, just by adding one thing

Not Just for Rugs

This AR stuff works for other home items too—like couches, art, tables, and lighting. But it’s especially useful for rugs because rugs are hard to imagine in a space. They change the whole feel of a room.

Here’s the Point

Rug shopping online has always been hard. AR makes it easier. It shows people exactly what they’re getting. It removes doubts. It brings them closer to clicking “buy.”

If your rug store isn’t using AR, you’re not just missing out on something cool—you’re missing out on sales.