Survey Reveals New COVID-19 Shopping Habits for Nearly 90 Percent of Americans
According to new survey findings by Top Data, nearly three-quarters of Americans are shopping online more than prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s more, 88 percent of consumers told the company they will continue to shop online more even after a cure or vaccine for coronavirus is available.
The goal of Top Data’s survey was to examine how consumer’s shopping habits have changed in conjunction with widespread closures and shelter in place orders that have kept people at home.
“The move toward increased online shopping started long before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the spread of the virus has seemingly accelerated the move away from traditional shopping,” said a representative of the Top Data team. “Retailers and brands should continue to monitor these trends to properly market to their customers both now and during the holiday season.”
Notably, the company’s survey data found that clothing was at the top of most-purchased online items during the pandemic. In fact, 67 percent of respondents said they had purchased clothing online when they normally would have done so in-store. Another 60 percent of consumers said they had shifted household item purchasing to online, followed by 56 percent purchasing groceries online, 51 percent purchasing cleaning supplies online and 49 percent purchasing electronics online.
“It remains to be seen how both local governments and retailers will treat-in person shopping as the pandemic drags on,” the Top Data representative said. “It is likely that shoppers will remain leery of large crowds before there is a cure or vaccine for COVID-19.”
Moreover, the Top Data said as retailers enter the holiday season, “there are many ways to tailor advertising strategies and customer outreach that focuses on the online shopping experience. COVID-19 has forced most Americans to stay home more than they otherwise would have, resulting in even more opportunity to reach shoppers on their computers, tablets, phones and TVs.”
For More WWD Business News:
Data Shows Thanksgiving Foot Traffic Vital to Holiday Success
Pandemic to Create Strong Headwinds Against Holiday Spending This Year
Fleeting Shopping Behaviors and a Digital-First Holiday Season
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