The Essence
The Cart is where purchase intent takes shape before commitment. It captures the moment between browsing and buying — when someone has moved beyond curiosity but hasn't yet said "yes."
Carts aren't just shopping containers; they're windows into how people evaluate, configure, and prepare to invest. They answer "what are they considering, in what configuration, at what point in their decision?"
Unlike Quotes (which are formal proposals) or Orders (which are commitments), Carts are exploratory — a workspace where possibilities become concrete before they become real.
"Carts aren't just shopping containers; they're windows into how people evaluate, configure, and prepare to invest. Cart data reveals what people consider, not just what they buy."
The Intent Journey
Cart captures the moment between browsing and buying — where intent takes shape before commitment.
Unified View Contribution
Revenue View
Supporting contributor. Cart value and conversion rates indicate potential revenue. Cart abandonment patterns reveal friction in the buying process. Cart-to-Order conversion is a key metric for commerce health.
Customer View
Supporting contributor. Cart history shows what people consider (not just what they buy). Abandoned Carts reveal interest that didn't convert — opportunity for re-engagement.
Business Context
Supporting contributor. Cart patterns reveal product interest, pricing sensitivity, and configuration preferences. Popular Cart configurations inform product development and bundling strategies.
Team Enablement
Minimal contributor. Carts operate primarily in self-service contexts, though abandoned Cart recovery creates team tasks.
Sarah's Story
Before Sarah formally engaged Value-First, she explored their portal:
Sarah browsed the Product catalog in the Value-First portal. She added "CVP Foundation Assessment" to her Cart — $2,500. She wasn't ready to buy; she wanted to see what commitment looked like.
She returned the next day, removed the Assessment, and added "CVP Full Implementation - Manufacturing" instead — $47,000. She configured it: Chicago location, standard timeline. The Cart showed her exactly what she'd be committing to.
Sarah's Cart sat for five days. She was gathering internal approvals, building her business case. The Cart persisted — her configuration saved, her intent captured.
Value-First's system noticed. Not with aggressive "complete your purchase!" emails, but with a gentle check-in: "We noticed you're exploring CVP Implementation. Would it help to schedule a call to discuss how this has worked for other manufacturing companies?"
Sarah replied. That conversation became her Discovery call. Her Cart configuration informed the discussion — Ryan already knew what she was considering and at what scale.
When Sarah was ready to move forward, her Cart didn't just disappear. It informed the Quote Ryan prepared — same configuration, same pricing, with the multi-location additions Sarah had mentioned in their call. The Cart was the starting point; the Quote was the formal proposal.
The Cart captured intent. The Quote formalized it. The Order committed to it.
What It Holds
Product Selections
Configuration Choices
Pricing Preview
Buyer Context
Status and Timing
Source Information
What It Connects To
From Cart
Who is considering this purchase?
What organization are they part of?
What items are being considered?
Where did this intent originate?
To Cart (Downstream)
Cart configuration informs formal proposal
Converted Carts become Orders
Cart activity can associate to sales opportunity
Association Labels
"Considering"
"Evaluation in Progress"
"Became"
Common Patterns
The Browse-to-Buy Pattern
The Consideration Pattern
The Cart-to-Quote Pattern
The Abandoned Cart Recovery Pattern
The Reorder Pattern
Value-First vs. Industrial-Age
| ✗ Traditional Thinking | ✓ Value-First Thinking |
|---|---|
| Cart abandonment = Lost sale | Cart abandonment = Intent signal worth understanding |
| Aggressive recovery emails | Helpful check-ins that add value |
| Cart = Transaction container | Cart = Decision workspace |
| Push to convert quickly | Support the decision timeline |
| Anonymous Cart = Less valuable | Every Cart reveals market interest |
| Cart data for sales pressure | Cart data for better service |
Why This Shift Matters
Traditional e-commerce treats Carts as conversion opportunities to exploit. Pop-ups, urgency tactics, endless reminder emails. The goal is to pressure completion.
Value-First sees Carts as windows into consideration. Someone took time to configure a potential purchase — that's valuable information regardless of whether they convert. Understanding why Carts abandon matters more than pressuring completion. Sometimes people aren't ready. Sometimes pricing is wrong. Sometimes they found a better fit elsewhere. All of that is useful signal.
The response to an abandoned Cart reveals your values. Spam says "we want your money." Helpful outreach says "we noticed you're considering this — how can we help you make the right decision?"
In Practice
Implementation details and configuration
What You'll See in HubSpot
Carts appear in commerce-enabled HubSpot accounts (Commerce Hub / e-commerce integrations). Each Cart has:
- Left sidebar: Cart properties, status, value, source
- Middle column: Line items in Cart, configuration details
- Right sidebar: Associations to Contact, Company, related Deals
Cart lists can be filtered by status (Active, Abandoned, Converted), value, age, and source.
Key Properties
Key Properties
Native HubSpot Properties
| Property | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
hs_cart_name Native | Text | Cart identifier |
hs_cart_status Native | Enumeration | Active, Abandoned, Converted |
hs_total_amount Native | Currency | Cart total value |
hs_subtotal Native | Currency | Pre-tax/shipping amount |
hs_tax Native | Currency | Tax amount |
hs_shipping_cost Native | Currency | Shipping charges |
hs_discount Native | Currency | Discounts applied |
hs_currency_code Native | Text | Currency |
hs_createdate Native | DateTime | When Cart created |
hs_lastmodifieddate Native | DateTime | Last activity |
Value-First Custom Properties
| Property | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
vf_cart_intent_level | Enumeration | Browsing, Evaluating, Ready to Buy |
vf_days_since_activity | Calculated | Time since last modification |
vf_abandonment_reason | Enumeration | If abandoned, why? (captured via survey/outreach) |
vf_recovery_attempt_count | Number | How many re-engagement attempts |
vf_source_campaign | Text | What drove this Cart creation |
vf_configuration_complexity | Enumeration | Simple, Standard, Complex |
Cart Status Lifecycle
Created
Initial browsing and configuration
First product added to Cart
Cart modified or abandoned for 3+ days
Portal Experience
In Sarah's portal:
- My Cart — Current Cart contents and configuration
- Saved Carts — Past Carts saved for later (if feature enabled)
- Order History — Easy reorder button creates new Cart from past Order
"The Cart experience should feel helpful, not pressuring. Clear pricing, easy modification, no artificial urgency."
See It In Action
Experience in the Value Path Simulator
Key Moment: Cart data reveals what people consider, not just what they buy. That consideration data is valuable signal for understanding your market.