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US Online Shopping Statistics: 10 Things To Know About Your Buyers

by Olga L. | | 6 min read
online-shopping-statistics

Are you following the latest online shopping statistics in the United States? If you’re running an online store with Sellvia and targeting US buyers, it’s a good thing to know who exactly you’re dealing with. Who are these people most likely to buy from you? How are they making their purchasing decisions? What do they have in common? Let’s take a closer look at US online shopping statistics to let you get a clearer idea of your buyers’ audience!

Online shopping statistics in the US: general overview

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Why does it make sense to run an ecommerce business in the United States, in the first place?

  • Revenues are growing

In January-March 2022, retail ecommerce sales in the United States amounted to $249.97 billion. It’s a 2.4% increase from the previous quarter and the highest quarterly revenue ever! Surely, that’s quite a promising industry to be in right now.

  • The room for growth is enormous

Even though the ecommerce sector is so profitable, it still doesn’t include all the potential shoppers! Over a half of Americans still prefer shopping in a brick-and-mortar store: 71% of the respondents say they shop in person at least once a week. Millions of people are yet to start buying online – and that means there needs to be someone to meet their growing needs.

  • Customers get increasingly more familiar with online shopping

62% of Americans say they are accustomed to online shopping and buy something online more often that once a month. For 60% of them, the decisive factor is the opportunity to find whatever they need without having to physically go to a store!

Do you know you can make it possible for them by introducing tailored product offering that can satisfy the needs of the pickiest online shoppers? Premium Products service by Sellvia and Amazon business setup do just that as it identifies strong yet unmet demand and turn it into actual products you can start selling on Amazon in no time. Watch the video for more details!

Online shopping statistics to know when you sell in the US: who are your customers?

And now, when we have general US online shopping statistic sorted out, let’s focus on buyers’ data! What is so special about people who tend to buy online? There are 10 customers’ features you should definitely pay attention to!

#1 Regular online presence

31% of adults in the United States confirm they go online “almost constantly”, staying connected with their local communities and global media outlets almost at all times. For most part, this is typical for adults (44% of people aged between 18 and 49 years old speak of this habit) with college education and higher-income households.

#2 Younger age

Millennials are the most typical age group to buy something online. It was earlier reported that people aged 22-37 make 60% of their purchases online, which is an impressive number on its own. These days, users aged 25-34 constitute 20.2% of online shoppers, while 17.2% of online buyers fall between the ages of 35 to 44.

#3 A lack of established online shopping routine

As we’ve already mentioned, even though a major part of the US population has tried online shopping at least once, most of them haven’t yet formed a habit of shopping online on a regular, pattern-specific basis. Only 4% of Americans make online purchases several times a week, while 15% do it on a weekly basis and 18% shop online a few times a month. For 37%, online shopping is something that happens less often than a few times a month!

#4 Pandemic-influenced shopping habits

Despite the gradual return of interest in brick-and-mortar shopping, researchers report that online shoppers’ behavior has been heavily influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic and probably, has been altered permanently. Even though the tendency for panic buying of medical supplies and hygienic items seems to be declining, there is increasing interest in purchasing home fitness equipment and pet supplies through online stores.

#5 Price sensitivity

According to this survey, 63% of retail shopping actions begin from online search. Even if a purchase gets made in a brick-and-mortar store, it is most likely a result of previous online search and price comparison.

Additionally, millennial customers who represent the majority of US online shoppers say the reason they prefer buying online is the opportunity to easily compare prices and look for discounts and coupons.

#6 Intolerance to added costs

Online shopping statistics shows that the reason why 49% of user abandon their shopping carts without completing a purchase is high extra costs such as shipping fees or taxes. Among other reasons to leave an online store empty-handed there are customer experience issues: inconvenience of creating an account, long or complex checkout process, and long delivery times.

Did you know Sellvia products get delivered to their US customers quickly and on time? Stored in a Califonia-based warehouse, they play a major part in making your buyer satisfied – and willing to come back for more purchases!

#7 Attention to detail

The ability to compare prices is not the only factor Americans consider before purchasing online something they haven’t tried before. What they also value is a chance to ask questions about the product and the purchasing terms, to view online product ratings and reviews (valid for 32% of shoppers), and to get advice or recommendations from people they know (important for 23% of buyers).

#8 Age-specific payment options preferences

Depending on their age, US online buyers choose different ways to pay for their internet purchases. For example, those born in 1996-2010 (Gen Z) prefer peer-to-peer platforms like Prosper, Peerform, etc. as well as mobile payment options allowing them to check out more conveniently. Millennials, at the same time, choose debit cards as they consider them to be a secure and protected payment method. The same is true for Gen X representatives, while boomers may also be choosing either debit and credit cards or looking for a cash-on-delivery payment option.

#9 Constant search for something new

On a regular basis, customers expect to see new products. 75% of shoppers’ monthly search queries are new, meaning that people are actively looking for previously unfamiliar products all the time. What’s more, 69% of customers reveal they expect to see new product arrivals every time they visit an online store.

Looking for an easy way to give your product offering a cool upgrade? Consider Sellvia’s Premium Products service: we’ll analyze buyers’ search queries for you and come up with signature product ideas that no other store is offering!

#10 Desire to explore new brands and stores

As we mentioned before, most of the US online shoppers don’t have fixed buying preferences. 75% of them are trying new shopping patterns because of changes in the economic situation and a shift in personal priorities. Interestingly, 36% of them are trying product brands they haven’t dealt with before, meaning it’s the perfect time for smaller businesses to make themselves known and try winning a share of this booming market.

What can we conclude from the latest US online shopping statistics? The ecommerce industry in the United States is a high-potential business destination for newcomers, and it will continue to flourish in the foreseeable future. The key to success here is the right product offering – affordable, diverse, and ever-changing. With Premium Products by Sellvia, you can easily widen your product range and treat your customers with unique, rare to find, branded products – the ones they’ll be coming back for again and again!

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by Olga L.
Olga is a Copywriting Director at Sellvia. Having graduated from the Faculty of International Business’ as an Advertising specialist, she puts years of her copywriting experience into making clear and informative guides, tutorials, and other educational materials for ecommerce newcomers worldwide.
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