Online businesses are missing out on $3.8 billion (€4.4 billion) of sales because consumers abort four in five purchase attempts, a survey said this week.

The global survey by management consultants AT Kearney blamed the abandoned shopping trolleys on invasive information requests, reluctance to enter credit card details, malfunctioning websites and failure to find a product.

Retailers are also missing out by not offering shopping via televisions and mobile phones, taking the missed business to $6.1 billion, the survey said.

The research covered 1,264 experienced Internet shoppers in six countries.