What is a cart surge?
A cart surge is a demand event raised when the number of shoppers currently holding a product in their cart grows sharply compared with the previous snapshot. It captures a sudden concentration of purchase intent on a single product.
What triggers a cart surge?
The platform tracks active carts — how many shoppers have a given product in their basket right now — and raises a surge event when that count climbs steeply in a short space of time. Because cart counts are the most volatile of the demand metrics, surges are spaced more tightly than other events so the feed reflects real movement rather than noise.
Why is a cart surge a leading indicator?
Adding to cart sits one step before purchase, so a sharp rise in active carts often precedes a spike in orders. A cart surge gives merchandisers a short window to act — securing stock, adjusting placement — before the purchase activity arrives.
What does a cart surge drive?
Cart surges are a strong trigger for cart pressure messaging, where the live concentration of interest in a product is reflected back to shoppers. They also feed the live demand feed as an early warning for products about to move.
See cart surges in the platform
The live demand feed flags sharp rises in active carts the moment they build.