18% of Connected Consumers Now Make Weekly Online Purchases, 4% Do So Daily

It doesn’t matter if you’re taking batting practice or perfecting your favorite recipe — the more you do something, the more comfortable you get doing it.

That reality also applies to online shopping, where consumers are not only becoming more familiar with the growing number of eCommerce choices and opportunities available to them, but new PYMNTS research shows that they are also visiting digital storefronts more frequently — and with greater comfort, ease and satisfaction.

That’s just one of the many findings packed into PYMNTS’ new Connected Consumer report, which surveyed over 3,100 U.S. adults from late October to early November, and showed that an acceleration and expansion of the digital shift is underway.

Where the year-ago results showed that almost every U.S. consumer (92%) had done an online transaction, the updated findings show that this pandemic-fueled shift is becoming even more common and deep.

As the chart below shows, whether on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, the frequency of different consumers buying retail items online is taking a larger share of the activity when compared to traditional in-store purchases. It’s also worth noting that this shift is happening even though almost all brick-and-mortar stores are fully open now — whereas a year ago, many were closed, and consumers were far less comfortable venturing out.

In short, as people gain more trust with eCommerce, they’re venturing outside their digital comfort zones of banking, takeout food and select retail products, and delving deeper into the 10 pillars of the connected economy, which PYMNTS defines as how we pay, bank, shop, eat, have fun, live, work, travel, communicate and stay healthy.

Retail Frequency

Within the new results, PYMNTS data show that roughly one in five consumers now make retail purchases online at least once per week, with a 4% subset of super-connected shoppers doing so on a daily basis.

Specifically, while the data show that 7% of consumers said they now make a daily in-store purchase, anywhere from 3% to 5% of respondents are now doing daily digital transactions via one of seven different methods available, including online marketplaces, store websites for home delivery, direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites, curbside or in-store pickup, subscription or third-party same-day delivery service.

Taken together, where 88% of consumers said they made a daily, weekly or monthly in-store purchase, 63% said the same for making an online purchase from a marketplace, such as Amazon, Walmart.com or Etsy. In addition, 52% choose the order online and deliver-to-home option, with 40% shopping directly with a brand.

While slightly lower but still substantial, roughly one-third of respondents told PYMNTS they are now regular BOPIS users (buy online and pick up in-store or curbside) or buy via recurring digital retail subscriptions.

Online and Offline Favorites

Not surprisingly, gasoline is still far and away the largest “in-store” purchasing category with its 88% share, but that implies that 12% of consumers have already begun to shop and pay for fuel in some non-traditional, digitally assisted way.

On the flip side, a larger share of consumers said they now shopped for electronics and appliances online more often than they did in-store (41% vs. 32%, respectively) while also showing a similar but slightly lower preference for buying clothing and accessories via eCommerce, with a 31% vs. 28% bias for digital.

Likewise, while 75% of alcohol and 65% of food and beverage purchases are still being made exclusively in-store, that also reflects the fact that one-fourth and one-third of respondents, respectively, in these enormous categories are now open to — and actively using — alternatives.

Other outsized sectors embracing the digital shift include 28% of furniture shoppers, as well as 21% of auto purchasing.

While the ongoing shift to digital is growing and undeniable, PYMNTS data also show that consumers’ needs are changing, and that savvy merchants — especially within certain connected economy pillars — should take note.

In particular, faced with a growing stream of apps, websites and digital choices, it should come as no surprise that there is also mounting demand for digital consolidation and simplicity — particularly within the Leisure pillar, which includes travel, entertainment and retail shopping.