U.S. consumers online shopping use before and after COVID-19 2021, by category

In September 2020, a survey found that 26 percent of respondents in the United States had been buying household supplies online before the coronavirus pandemic. After COVID-19, there was an expected 13 percentage point increase in consumers buying these home items online. The same survey was conducted in February 2021 and it revealed that spending intentions decreased across many categories. Fitness and wellness, groceries, personal care products, and household supplies were among the few segments where post-COVID-19 growth was still expected.

The change is real

The coronavirus pandemic has upended lives worldwide, from how we work to shop and socialize, in general. In a survey published in March 2021, U.S consumers were asked about the important attributes of shopping online, among which the most chosen answers were faster delivery and in-stock availability. However, the share of consumers that shopped online for the first time is relatively minimal. For instance, only two percent of German and Japanese respondents had never purchased online before 2020.

Shopping online more than ever

The e-commerce purchase frequency has also changed. In the U.S., over 23 percent of respondents mentioned that their household goods online purchasing cycle had increased compared to one month previously. In terms of traffic and reach, food and groceries, home and garden, and sports and outdoors were the fastest-growing e-commerce categories worldwide.