What is a cart drawer?
A cart drawer is a panel that slides in from the edge of the screen when a shopper adds a product to the cart. It shows the cart's contents without leaving the page, so the shopper can keep browsing or head straight to checkout. Also called a slide-out cart or mini cart.
Cart drawer vs cart page: which is better?
A cart page is a full page load: the shopper leaves the collection, lands on /cart, and has to find her way back. A drawer keeps her exactly where she was, jacket grid still visible behind it. For quick add-and-keep-shopping, the drawer wins. For reviewing a large order line by line, the page still earns its keep. Most stores run both: the drawer handles the add-to-cart moment, when buying interest is hottest.
What do stores put inside a cart drawer?
The drawer is the last calm space before checkout, so stores treat it like shelf space. Say your average cart runs $38 against a $50 free-shipping bar. A progress bar reading "You're $12 away from free shipping" turns a $14 bag of beans from an extra into the obvious move. Stores also add a countdown for an ending promotion, a one-tap product suggestion, and a field for order notes.
On Shopify stores
Many Shopify themes ship a basic drawer: line items, a subtotal, a checkout button. What themes rarely offer is control over what else appears inside, which is why cart apps exist. Verify one thing with any replacement: it should open from every add to cart on the store, including quick-add buttons on collection cards. Otherwise shoppers get two carts that disagree.
Cart drawers with Sledge
Sledge's cart drawer replaces the native cart with sections you arrange yourself: a free-shipping progress bar, a countdown, a bundle suggestion, order notes. It opens from any add to cart, anywhere on the store. The cart that finishes the sale.
14-day free trial · No code · Works with any theme · Uninstalls clean