Average Units per Transaction in Ecommerce
Businesses need to set and track metrics to understand how well they are performing in comparison with their competitors and the market average. This allows them to set realistic business benchmarks and goals and identify areas with room for improvement.
For online businesses, indicators like the average add-to-cart rate and average page views per visit in ecommerce are some of the most important metrics to keep an eye on. But those aren’t the only insightful ones. The average units per transaction metric can also provide an overview of the shopping habits and preferences of buyers.
Average units per transaction: May 2023–April 2024
|
Month |
Average units per transaction |
|---|---|
|
May 2023 |
4.85 |
|
Jun 2023 |
4.48 |
|
Jul 2023 |
3.98 |
|
Aug 2023 |
3.94 |
|
Sep 2023 |
4.64 |
|
Oct 2023 |
4.63 |
|
Nov 2023 |
4.15 |
|
Dec 2023 |
3.86 |
|
Jan 2024 |
4.92 |
|
Feb 2024 |
5.09 |
|
Mar 2024 |
4.87 |
|
Apr 2024 |
5.13 |
|
Global average |
4.48 |
According to recent market data, the metric of average units per transaction in ecommerce has been fluctuating between 3.86 and 5.13 over the past 12 months. In other words, the number of items consumers purchase online per sale currently falls between these two figures.
In May 2023, the average units per transaction registered at 4.85, before falling by 0.37 units the following month, to 4.48. In July 2023, consumers bought fewer items per purchase, as the average units per transaction decreased to 3.98.
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Another month of increase followed, which took the average to 3.94 in August—the lowest in at least four months. In September, the average units per transaction in ecommerce surged to 4.64, before dipping marginally to 4.63 in October and further to 4.15 in November. The average units per transaction in ecommerce metric closed the year out with 3.86 in December.
In 2024 so far, the average units per transaction in ecommerce has performed relatively well, with an average of five units per transaction.
Average units per transaction by device
|
Device |
Average units per transaction (as of April 2024) |
|---|---|
|
Mobile |
4.02 |
|
Tablet |
3.57 |
|
Desktop |
7.18 |
The average units per transaction differs by device. The data shows that as of April 2024, consumers shopping on desktops bought the highest number of products per checkout, at 7.12. This is the highest in at least 12 months.
In comparison, the average units per transaction on mobiles and tablets are 4.02 and 3.57, respectively.