Retailers Rush to Fix Accessibility Issues as 80% of Customers Prioritize Experience
A significant 80% of customers now prioritise the experience a company offers, on par with its products. This shift, coupled with increasing regulations, is pushing retailers to address accessibility issues urgently.
Retailers can start by focusing on critical revenue stages like product pages, carts, and checkout flows. Proactive accessibility measures reduce customer frustration and mitigate business risks, including potential lawsuits and reputational damage. Currently, accessibility barriers contribute to the high cart abandonment rate in retail.
The retail industry consistently tops the list of targets for accessibility-related lawsuits in the U.S. A concerning 77% of retail pages lack clear image descriptions, while websites average over 350 accessibility issues per page, the highest among industries. Nearly a third of retail pages fail basic keyboard navigation, and an average of eight links per page lack context. These findings highlight the pressing need for improvement in meeting accessibility standards.
With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) now in effect and the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) set to enforce stricter accessibility standards in Germany from June 2025, retailers must prioritise meeting accessibility standards. By doing so, they can enhance customer experience, boost customer loyalty, and avoid potential legal and reputational pitfalls.
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