I Screenshotted the Cart Drawer on 15 Top DTC Stores

Why we looked at cart drawers

The cart drawer is the panel that slides out when you add something to your cart. It is small, it is easy to ignore, and it sits at the moment a shopper has the most intent on your whole site. We wanted to know how the best direct to consumer brands use it, so we added a product to cart on 15 top stores and screenshotted every drawer on mobile.

The stores were Ridge, Olaplex, Glossier, Our Place, Native, HexClad, Jones Road, Kylie Cosmetics, Obvi, AG1, True Classic, Liquid Death, Comfrt, Bombas, and Brooklinen.

They sell very different things, from wallets to cookware to energy drinks. Their cart drawers look very similar.

Pattern 1: A progress bar toward a reward

8 of the 15 drawers showed a progress bar toward a reward. Some used free shipping. Others used a free gift. Olaplex showed a line that said the shopper was $66 away from a free gift, with a bar that filled as the cart grew.

A progress bar gives the shopper a goal and a reason to look at add-ons. It turns a passive cart into a small game.

Pattern 2: Add-ons you can add in one tap

Almost every drawer suggested something else to buy, and the best ones let you add it with one tap. Ridge showed a Bundle and Save offer for its KeyCase, priced at $24 with the $75 price struck through and a SAVE 68% label, next to an ADD and SAVE button.

Olaplex used a Complete the Routine block, suggesting products that pair with what was already in the cart.

In past A/B tests, one-tap add-ons in the cart have shown lifts around +34.7%. That is one of the highest numbers we see on any cart pattern.

Pattern 3: Free gifts shown as products

When a store offers a free gift, the strongest drawers show it as a real product, with an image, a name, and a value, not just a line of text. The shopper can see what they get. It feels like something worth unlocking.

Pattern 4: Subscribe and save on the line item

Several stores let shoppers switch to a subscription right inside the drawer. Olaplex showed a subscribe and save 10% option directly on the line item. The shopper does not have to go back to the product page to change their mind.

Pattern 5: One loud checkout button, then express pay

Every drawer had one main checkout button that clearly stood out. Under it, most showed express pay options like Shop Pay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. The order matters: one clear main action, then fast options for people who want them.

Pattern 6: A trust line under checkout

Many drawers placed a short line under the checkout button about returns, guarantees, or secure checkout. Ridge used a short trust line in exactly that spot. It answers the last doubts right where the shopper is about to commit.

Pattern 7: Brand voice, even in the cart

The best drawers did not sound like a template. Liquid Death, Jones Road, and others kept their tone in the empty cart message, the button labels, and the reward copy. Small lines of brand voice remind the shopper who they are buying from.

Pattern 8: Savings shown in dollars

When a bundle saved money, the strongest drawers showed the saving in dollars, not just a percent. A clear dollar amount is easier to feel and easier to trust. In past tests, showing savings as an amount like Save $34 has shown lifts around +11.9%.

Pattern 9: Clean line items

Even with add-ons and rewards, the line items stayed simple: image, name, variant, price, and a quantity control. Nothing extra. The shopper can always see what they are buying.

What the weaker drawers got wrong

Not every drawer was great. The common problems were:

• No reason to add another item.
• Two or three buttons of the same weight, so the checkout button did not stand out.
• Upsells that needed a size or color choice before adding, which breaks the one-tap flow.
• No trust or delivery information at all.

How to use this on your store

Add a product to your own cart on a phone and compare it to this list:

• Is there a progress bar toward free shipping or a gift?
• Can a shopper add a suggested product in one tap?
• If you offer a gift, is it shown as a product?
• Is there one clear checkout button with express pay under it?
• Is there a trust line near checkout?
• Does it sound like your brand?

Start with the one-tap add-on and the progress bar. They tend to have the biggest effect on order value.

Get the full breakdown

We turned this research into a free 45 page Cart Drawer Breakdown. It shows the screenshots from all 15 stores, explains the nine patterns in detail, and ends with an 18 point checklist you can run on your own cart in ten minutes.

If you want the breakdown, grab it free and use it on your next cart redesign.