Why 70% of Indian Shoppers Abandon Carts in English-only Stores?

Ever wondered why so many shoppers in India click Add to Cart and then just… vanish? It’s not always about price. Or product. Sometimes, it’s the words.

Yes,  language. That invisible wall that stops a buyer right before the final click. Around 70% of online shoppers in India drop off when a store is available only in English. It’s not a glitch. It’s human.

When English Feels Like a Foreign Storefront?

Picture this: a woman from Mysuru finds a lovely kurta online. She scrolls through photos, loves the colour, and checks the fabric. All looks perfect. Then she hits checkout, and everything is in English. Shipping method. Apply the coupon. Continue to payment.
She pauses. What if she misses something important? What if a small mistake costs her? That pause turns into a close tab.

It’s not that she dislikes English. It’s just not her comfort zone when money is involved. That’s how trust quietly slips away.

The Unspoken Reality of Indian E-commerce

India has crossed 700 million internet users, but not even a fifth of them use English comfortably. The rest? They think, read, laugh, and shop in languages like Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali…

A Google-KPMG study said that 90% of new Indian internet users prefer local language content. And those users don’t just “consume”,  they buy more when things feel native.

Still, many online stores behave like English is the only ticket to modernity. The result? People scroll, browse, and bounce. Fast.

Kannada: Not Just a Language, a Comfort Zone

Let’s talk about Kannada. Over 45 million people read, write, and search in Kannada online today. They watch YouTube tutorials, follow Kannada influencers, and even shop for traditional wear on mobile apps.

But once they move to checkout, everything changes. English buttons. English policies. English receipts. It feels like being invited to a party where everyone speaks differently.

This is why translating from English to Kannada isn't only about the words; it's also about gaining trust before the buy button.

Words That Feel Like Home

Think about how a simple line can change perception.
“Soft cotton saree – comfortable all day” is fine. But read this:
“ಮೃದು ಹತ್ತಿಯ ಸೀರೆ – ದಿನಪೂರ್ತಿ ಆರಾಮದಾಯಕ.”
It instantly feels warmer. Softer. Local.

It’s not just a sentence, it’s comfort written out. And comfort makes people stay.

The Quiet Power of Local Language

Here’s something most brands overlook: understanding creates confidence. Confidence drives conversion. A customer who reads everything in her own language doesn’t second-guess herself. She moves faster through the funnel. She trusts the brand more.  That’s why companies that localize their content often see a 20% to 30% increase in conversions and fewer support requests. It’s simple. When people understand, they don’t ask. They just act.

Beyond Translation: Making It Sound Alive

But translation alone isn’t magic.
A robot can translate, but a human connects. The real magic happens when Kannada words sound like Kannada, not English with new letters.

You can’t just turn “Buy Now” into “ಈಗ ಖರೀದಿಸಿ” and expect emotions to follow. The tone matters. The rhythm matters. Local idioms, familiar slang, even humour, they make content breathe.

Imagine running a festive campaign in October with offers written around Dasara traditions, or small greeting messages that sound like something your aunt would say. That’s where hearts open. That’s where sales happen.

Small Words, Big Impact

Most people assume localization is expensive or time-consuming. Not true anymore. Today, with AI-powered translation tools (and human review where it matters), you can scale content into Kannada quickly,  ads, chatbots, product descriptions, FAQs, and everything.

The payoff is huge. Kannada-speaking customers feel seen. They feel valued. They return. Retention quietly rises. Loyalty builds on its own.

The Future Speaks Many Languages

Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are becoming the real engine of India’s e-commerce growth. English-only brands risk being left behind. The next 100 million customers will come from towns that think and feel in local tongues.

Those who adapt early,  translate, localize, and humanize will build deeper relationships. Those who wait will keep wondering why their cart metrics look so empty.

Closing Thought

Cart abandonment isn’t a technical failure. It’s an emotional one. People don’t drop out because they don’t like your product. They drop out because the website doesn’t speak their language.

English to Kannada translation bridges that tiny but mighty gap. It turns confusion into comfort. Hesitation into trust.  And trust? That’s the real currency of the digital marketplace. So, the next time you see that 70% cart abandonment number, don’t just look at analytics. Look at the words.  Because somewhere in those untranslated sentences, a customer just walked away.