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.

The first case of a person infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Brazil was reported on February 26, 2020. The lock for non-essential business started on March 24. The daily time Brazilians spent on websites of online retailers between March 19 and 31 was three percent lower than between January 1 and March 18. Between April 1 and 19, the time was 11 percent higher than between January 1 and March 18. For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

As of May 31, some 27 percent of respondents in the United States stated that they had deliberately purchased hygiene products online instead of offline because of the pandemic.

According to a survey on consumer behavior in Central American countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of respondents expected a decrease in the time allocated to online food and non-food shopping. Moreover, 17 percent forecast, on the contrary, an increase in the time invested buying groceries over the internet, while 15 percent expected the same regarding non-food purchases.

In 2020, a noticeable spike in online shopping habits had been recorded across Europe, with many consumers from different countries stating that they had started e-shopping more due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2021, most of the same countries saw an increase in the number of people who said they bought on the web more due to the crisis. In Spain, for example, more than half of surveyed consumers said they shopped online more often in 2021, an increase of about eight percent compared to the previous year.

In 2022 nearly 50 percent of U.S. respondents from a survey on digital beauty shopping reported that they now buy more beauty products compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic. This figure is down 4 percent from the year before.

Digital shopping in Africa increased since the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. According to an online survey conducted in 2020 and 2021, 81 percent of consumers in Nigeria are shopping more online since the beginning of the pandemic. The health crisis led to increasing demand for e-commerce in Africa. Kenya and Ghana registered an increment of 79 percent in online purchases. In South Africa, online shopping grew by 68 percent. There, over half of consumers reported that they were buying more groceries and clothing items online.

Over the course of the next two weeks from mid-February 2021, consumers in the United States intended to increase their spending on groceries and food for home by nearly 20 percent and household supplies by roughly four percent. Shoppers stated that they expected to decrease their spending for most product categories. Spending on jewelry and accessories was expected to be reduced the most over the measured period.

How was shopping behavior influenced by the pandemic?

Over the many weeks and months since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began, consumers around the world and in the United States had exhibited changes in their shopping behavior. In early 2021, specifically, an estimated 85 percent of American shoppers reported that the crisis impacted their usual shopping habits. Some of the changes seen over the past year included reduced spending, an increased interest in online shopping, the use of home delivery options, as well as a decreased convenience store shopping frequency.

What industries were hit the hardest?

During the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers had spent far less than usual on all kinds of items, including out-of-home entertainment, apparel, jewelry, and accessories. Between March and May 2020, related sectors, such as motor vehicles and parts dealers as well as clothing and accessory stores, had seen a heavy decline in sales in contrast to the previous year. By the end of 2020 and the first months of 2021, however, many of the industries had once again experienced positive sales growth numbers.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

Since the initial declaration of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, about five percent of consumers in both Canada and France had bought items online for the very first time. Only about two percent of German and Japanese adults had never made online purchases before. Globally, the vast majority of people was already acquainted with buying online prior to COVID-19.

According to a survey conducted in Indonesia in 2023, around 41 percent of respondents from Gen Z bought more groceries online than they did before COVID-19. Meanwhile, around 37 percent of those surveyed from Gen Y claimed to have done so.

During a survey carried out in April 2020, 18 percent of consumers in Germany who never previously made online fashion purchases stated that they have increased their online shopping in that category since the coronavirus pandemic struck. Of those respondents who did buy fashion items online before, some 31 percent were buying them more often.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has led to an increased use of online shopping and has also prompted some online-shopping holdouts to make their first digital purchase. According to a March 2020 consumer survey, nine percent of female consumers in the United States have bought a product online for the first time due to physical distancing and self-quarantining practices. Overall, over a third of female consumers planned on increasing their spending on goods from online marketplaces because of the coronavirus.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has led to an increased use of online shopping and has also prompted some online-shopping holdouts to make their first digital purchase. According to a March 2020 consumer survey, five percent of consumers aged 65 years and above in the United States have bought a product online for the first time due to physical distancing and self-quarantining practices. Overall, a third of consumers aged 65 and older planned on increasing their spending on goods from online marketplaces because of the coronavirus.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

As of March 2020, 48 percent of respondents from Saudi Arabia used e-commerce to purchase products more frequently which they normally would have bought from a store since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). About 29 percent of respondents from Morocco used online shopping less frequently.

The displayed data on increased online shopping due to covid-19 by category shows results of the Global Consumer Survey conducted in the United States in 2021. Some 61 percent of respondents answered the question "You indicated you ordered more online during the COVID-19/Corona pandemic than before. In which of the following categories did you order more online than before? (multi-pick)" with "Clothing".

In a survey conducted in 2020 regarding how often consumers purchased goods online before and after the coronavirus pandemic, 35 percent of respondents in the Asia Pacific region stated that they purchased goods online up to three times a month before the pandemic. Comparatively, for the same survey, 17 percent of respondents stated that they purchased goods online two to three times a week after the coronavirus pandemic.

Throughout 2020, Latin American countries introduced a range of movement restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19. As a result, consumers across the region increasingly turned to online solutions for their purchases. During a survey conducted in 13 Latin American countries, Chile showed the highest online shopping increase by e-commerce buyers during the pandemic, with more than 66 percent stating to have incremented their purchases through this channel. Puerto Rico ranked second, with 59 percent of online shoppers surveyed saying to have purchased more on the internet.

Over the past pandemic year, a significant number of consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) have reported changes in their online shopping behavior. Specifically, in March 2020, about 40 percent of UK shoppers said they had been shopping more online, compared to before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. By February 2021, however, this percentage had grown to approximately 75 percent. By the same token, offline shopping has decreased over the analyzed period.

According to a post-COVID-19 survey conducted by iResearch among Chinese consumers in July 2020, more than 67 percent of respondents said that they increased their online shopping frequency after the coronavirus outbreak. In the meanwhile, around 65 percent of respondents decreased the frequency of their in-store shopping.

As of March 2020, 44 percent of U.S. consumers in the 30 to 44 age bracket expected that they would increase spending on goods from online marketplaces as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Interestingly, this figure was 31 percent for consumers aged 65 and above, despite low online shopping usage in this generation.
For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.