The following data points are based on $1.5B+ in apparel spend facilitated by PrettyDamnQuick’s checkout optimization solution over the last six months.
- Apparel shoppers are spending more: Average apparel order value has climbed from $129 to $166 over the last six months, in a sign of resilient consumer demand even outside the holiday season.
- Bigger carts and fewer coupons point to healthier margins: The rise in free shipping orders suggests shoppers are actively adding items to hit thresholds, while declining coupon usage means brands are giving up less on margin.
- Volatile conversion rates mean a checkout opportunity: While conversion has been up and down in recent months, Checkout Index identified a few areas where even the top-performing stores can improve.
Apparel brands have weathered their fair share of change over the last several years, with supply chain disruptions, weakening consumer confidence, and the rise of AI all forcing businesses to be agile.
But change means opportunity, and PrettyDamnQuick’s checkout data shows that the apparel industry is operating from a position of strength.
Shoppers Are Spending More Per Order
Over the last six months, average order value (AOV) for apparel brands has risen 28%, going from $129.45 to $166.20.
When shoppers make purchases, they’ve been spending more on average over the last six months, even after the holiday season concluded.
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Free Shipping is Driving Bigger Apparel Carts
At the same time, the share of orders that include free shipping has risen from 43% to 50%.
Combined with the rise in AOV, this suggests shoppers are adding more items to their cart to reach the free shipping threshold.
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Coupon Usage is Down, Which is Mostly Good News
Coupon usage across apparel shops has declined from 37% to 28%. Declining coupon usage tends to be a positive for brands, as coupons directly reduce margins.
However, declining coupon usage coupled with lower conversion rates might signal issues with pricing.
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Conversion Rates Remain Volatile
And when it comes to conversion rates, apparel has certainly seen some volatility over the last few months. It peaked at 77% in November and has since fallen to 73% in March. That means plenty of opportunity to optimize checkout to customers’ needs.
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Four Strategies for Top Apparel Brands To Win at Checkout
PrettyDamnQuick has been analyzing hundreds of store checkout experiences with Checkout Index, a new tool that benchmarks brands’ checkouts against top industry performers and identifies revenue opportunities in seconds. It then scores the checkout experience on a scale of 1-100.
Of the stores Checkout Index has analyzed so far, two of the top 10 in terms of performance are apparel brands.
Apparel stores tend to score well because they have fast load times and smooth checkout processes.
Still, there are a few strategies that even top-performing apparel brands can use to boost conversion and raise their score.
- Display specific delivery dates — Show a range of possible dates rather than messaging like “arrives in 3-5 business days” to give shoppers a clearer expectation.
- Add shipping protection — This can help reduce perceived risk at the moment shoppers are most aware of it.
- Offer gift wrapping — A simple add-on that can help with conversion, especially on single-item orders or orders where the billing and shipping addresses differ.
- Prominently feature strong trust signals — Highlighting secure checkout options, return policies, or customer reviews near the top of the checkout page can go a long way toward motivating shoppers to complete their purchase.
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Madeline Stone writes data-backed content for PrettyDamnQuick. She previously wrote about the e-commerce industry as a longtime reporter at Business Insider.
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