Instant Buy (Amazon Pay) on Mobile — Estée Lauder Companies

PROJECT SCOPE

Role: Senior UX Researcher (Consultant)
Timeline: August 2024 – April 2025
Platforms: Mobile Web + Shopify
Methods: Moderated & Unmoderated Usability Testing, Benchmarking, A/B Testing, Surveys, Concept Evaluation
Collaborators: Product, Shopify Engineers, Brand Stakeholders, Accessibility, Global E‑Commerce

Overview

Estée Lauder Companies was rolling out a Shopify redesign across seven global beauty brands.

Mobile analytics showed high drop‑off between Product Detail Page → Cart → Checkout, especially among repeat purchasers. The business wanted to evaluate whether adding a one‑tap “Instant Buy with Amazon Pay” button could reduce friction, improve checkout speed, and increase conversion on mobile without harming brand trust.

I led the full research initiative to validate Instant Buy’s experience, clarify user expectations, and identify risks before rollout across multiple brands.

Problem

Mobile shoppers were abandoning the checkout process for three primary reasons:

Long, multi‑step mobile checkout flows
Low visibility of express payment options
High friction for returning users who already knew what they wanted

Leadership needed clear evidence on whether Instant Buy would improve conversion, how it would impact brand trust, and whether it could scale across premium beauty brands.

Research Goals

Understand shopper mental models around Instant Buy in a luxury beauty context.
Evaluate usability and clarity of the Amazon Pay Instant Buy flow on mobile.
Measure speed, friction, and trust compared to the existing checkout.
Identify risks, mis-taps, or accidental purchase concerns.
Provide guidance for cross‑brand Shopify implementation.

Methodology

1. Cross‑Brand Benchmarking

Reviewed checkout flows across seven Estée Lauder brands, premium competitors, and Shopify best practices to establish a performance baseline and define KPIs.

2. Mixed‑Method Usability Testing

Participants: 24 mobile shoppers (iOS and Android; new and returning buyers).
Tasks included purchasing an item using Instant Buy, comparing flows, and evaluating clarity and trust.

Metrics gathered:

Tap accuracy
Time-on-task
Trust/confidence ratings
Errors and confusion points

3. A/B Live-Site Experiment

Partnered with engineers to run a controlled A/B test on a high‑traffic brand:

A: Standard PDP (control)
B: PDP with Instant Buy enabled

KPIs:

Click-through to checkout
Checkout completion
Cart abandonment
Customer support/payment-related tickets

Key Findings

1. Returning Shoppers Loved Instant Buy

Returning users who frequently reorder products found Instant Buy significantly faster and easier.
New shoppers often preferred browsing and ignored the button.

2. Placement Matters

Instant Buy performed best when placed below the “Add to Bag” button.
Above-the-fold placement caused mis-taps and reduced trust.

3. Checkout Speed Improved Dramatically

Participants completed checkout about 30–45% faster with Instant Buy.
Major time savings came from skipping cart and long mobile forms.

4. Trust Required a Confirmation Step

Users expected a review or confirmation screen before final purchase.
A too‑instant purchase flow decreased trust — especially for luxury brands.

5. Brand Consistency Must Be Protected

Premium brands were sensitive to Amazon branding.
Trust increased when:

The button was styled minimally
Copy clarified that the purchase was still from the brand
Instant Buy remained secondary to the main CTA until user intent was clear

Impact

Guided the Shopify implementation strategy for Instant Buy across multiple global brands.
Informed placement standards, button hierarchy, and confirmation step requirements.
Provided data‑driven recommendations that improved projected mobile conversion.
Reduced friction for repeat customers while maintaining brand integrity.
Influenced future express checkout roadmap priorities.