diff --git a/docs/upgrades/packages-7.5.21/default-shopping-cart-template.wgpkg b/docs/upgrades/packages-7.5.21/default-shopping-cart-template.wgpkg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3aa8050ae
Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/upgrades/packages-7.5.21/default-shopping-cart-template.wgpkg differ
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Cart.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Cart.pm
index b933b5583..a846ba02a 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Cart.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Cart.pm
@@ -694,9 +694,21 @@ sub www_view {
         }
         </script>
         |);
+
+    my @items = @{$self->getItems};
+    if(scalar(@items) < 1) {
+        # there are no items in the cart, return a message to the template
+        my %var = (
+            message => $i18n->get('empty cart')
+        );
+
+        # render the cart
+        my $template = WebGUI::Asset::Template->new($session, $session->setting->get("shopCartTemplateId"));
+        return $session->style->userStyle($template->process(\%var));
+    }
     
     # generate template variables for the items in the cart
-    foreach my $item (@{$self->getItems}) {
+    foreach my $item (@items) {
         my $sku = $item->getSku;
         $sku->applyOptions($item->get("options"));
         my %properties = (
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Shop.pm b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Shop.pm
index 962b07288..cbb95960c 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Shop.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Shop.pm
@@ -873,6 +873,13 @@ our $I18N = {
 		context => q|a button the user clicks on to go back to shopping after viewing the cart|
 	},
 
+    'empty cart' => { 
+		message => q|There are no items currently in your cart.|,
+		lastUpdated => 0,
+		context => q|a message to the user that the cart is empty|
+	},
+
+
 	'shop' => { 
 		message => q|Shop|,
 		lastUpdated => 0,
diff --git a/t/Shop/Cart.t b/t/Shop/Cart.t
index 56ef3a80f..472f10728 100644
--- a/t/Shop/Cart.t
+++ b/t/Shop/Cart.t
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use WebGUI::TestException;
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Init
 my $session         = WebGUI::Test->session;
-
+my $i18n = WebGUI::International->new($session, "Shop");
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Tests
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ my $cart = WebGUI::Shop::Cart->newBySession($session);
 isa_ok($cart, "WebGUI::Shop::Cart");
 isa_ok($cart->session, "WebGUI::Session");
 
+my $message = $i18n->get('empty cart') . "\n";
+like($cart->www_view, qr/There are no items currently in your cart./, 'Display empty cart message');
+
 my $root = WebGUI::Asset->getRoot($session);
 my $product = $root->addChild({
     className=>"WebGUI::Asset::Sku::Donation",