Is your website ready for Black Friday? How accessibility gaps cost retailers holiday sales

"Retailers obsess over traffic and promotional strategy, but holiday performance ultimately comes down to how many shoppers make it from product page to cart to confirmation. Baymard Institute reported that 70% of shopping carts are abandoned, representing billions in lost revenue each year. In normal weeks, that's painful. During Cyber Week and the weekends that follow, it's revenue walking out the virtual door."

"AudioEye's 2025 Digital Accessibility Index found retail sites have the highest number of accessibility barriers of any industry, averaging around 350 issues per page. Those errors appear in high-impact areas, such as product galleries, promotional banners, and checkout forms, and can cause a shopper to abandon their transaction mid-way. During the holidays, those small issues can add up to major revenue losses."

"Retailers have a narrow window to capture peak holiday demand and an even narrower margin for error. This year, that margin will be tested more than ever: Adobe expects U.S. consumers to spend $253.4 billion online between November 1 and December 31, with mobile driving the majority of visits and accounting for more than half of the spend. That surge creates opportunity - that is, if shoppers can actually complete a purchase."

Retailers face a narrow, decisive holiday sales window with mobile driving the majority of visits and spend. Expected online holiday spending reaches $253.4 billion, concentrating revenue risk into a few weeks. High cart-abandonment rates—around 70%—translate to billions in lost sales, which intensify during Cyber Week. Accessibility failures such as unreadable pricing, unlabeled actions, and assistive-technology checkout breakages increase abandonment and reduce conversion. Retail pages average roughly 350 accessibility issues, commonly in product galleries, promotional banners, and checkout forms. During peak holiday traffic, these barriers can quickly convert intent into missed sales and significant revenue loss.

Read at Miami Herald