Reading a Tuesday abandonment spike without panicking
A midweek mobile spike often looks like a crisis. Here is how we separate fee changes, stock messages, and ordinary lunchtime browsing.
When a Tuesday curve jumps, teams often assume the checkout broke overnight. Sometimes it did. More often the spike sits on one device and one basket band, and the calendar holds a quieter explanation.
Start with the cut, not the headline rate
Pull abandonment by device before you rewrite a homepage banner. If desktop is flat and mobile climbs after 11:00, look at delivery messaging, gift options, and any fee experiment that only rendered on smaller screens.
Overlay what you already know
List fee changes, stock warnings, and campaign sends for that week. A spike that hugs a “free delivery over £50” push usually means shoppers are parking mid-value baskets — annoying for the rate, informative for the threshold.
Decide what deserves a test
Only some spikes earn a roadmap ticket. We ask: is the movement large enough, repeating across weeks, and tied to a lever you control? If not, document it and watch the next two Tuesdays before commissioning creative work.