Online Vs In-Store Shopping Statistics By Holiday Seasons, Products, Country, Consumer Behavior, Generation, Revenue And Market Share
Updated · Dec 20, 2024
WHAT WE HAVE ON THIS PAGE
- Introduction
- Editor’s Choice
- Online Vs In-Store Shopping On Holiday Seasons
- Online Vs In-store Shopping On Purchasing Products
- Online Vs In-store Shopping Spending
- Share Of Consumer On Online Vs In-store Shopping By Country
- Weekly Consumers Of Online Vs In-store Shopping
- Sales Of Online Retail Stores
- Global Online Retailer’s Cross-Border Purchase
- Online Vs In-store Shopping By Consumer Behavior
- Online Vs In-store Shopping Revenue And Market Share
- Online Vs In-store Shopper Statistics
- Online Vs In-store Statistics By Generation
- Conclusion
Introduction
Online Vs In-Store Shopping Statistics: Consumer behavior keeps changing, and in a scenario like this, online shopping becomes more in competition with indoor shopping. A good example could be taken from Walmart itself. Due to the increase in digitalization and globalization, online shopping has increased crazily during the last ten years.
In 2024, convenience, technology, and economics will all be the strong forces behind the new trends. The online vs. In-store shopping statistics refer to the general percentage of consumers worldwide who prefer to shop in a certain way.
Editor’s Choice
- According to online vs In-store shopping statistics, Americans spend a little over 60% of their holiday budget for 2023 online shopping, with a share of those savings allocated to reservations in stores, as indicated in a survey released in 2023.
- Furthermore, Americans rounded off the two-year period before 2023 when a significant percentage shopped online for at least some portion of their products. Just over a third of Americans prefer the process of shopping for clothes online, but nearly 60% visit clothing stores at least once a year.
- Department stores had shopping for half of Americans, with 22% patronizing bookstore retail outlets.
- Online vs. in-store shopping statistics show that preferences are different across the world. In the U.S., a preference of 43% was given to online shopping, whereas an inclination towards offline shopping was found in countries like Austria and New Zealand.
- Shopping habits in a week of 2023 revealed that more than half of UK consumers (75%) visited stores to shop, while the other 50% were still shopping online regularly.
- As to cross-border shopping, e-commerce in the U.S. accounted for 17.1% of the total retail sales in Q4 2023, which means its growing importance in e-commerce.
- Global draw in online shopping back in 2023, with Amazon dominating the ranks of worldwide sites in retail, at 24% of purchases, followed by Alibaba at 16% and Shein at 9%.
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics reveal that more than 80% of shoppers utilize easy return procedures as a reason for preferring online shopping, while fashion items comprise 23% of online shopping in the U.S.
- For Q2 2023, online shopping by category indicates great sales for non-store retailers (US$168 billion), followed by general merchandise (US$27 billion) and clothing stores (US$17 billion).
- Meanwhile, 45% of shoppers in the U.S. would prefer to shop in a store simply for the pleasure and simplicity of comparing products.
- Generation Z is more likely to use both mediums to shop. The other 41% prefer shopping in person when they get the option.
- In-store purchasing still prevails with Generation X and Baby Boomers, although online shopping has grown robust.
Online Vs In-Store Shopping On Holiday Seasons
(Reference: statista.com)
- The majority of shoppers in the U.S. turned to online shopping as their primary source for holiday purchases in 2024.
- The trend is reflective of growing convenience and accessibility in e-commerce during the busy shopping season.
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics show that the category, however, was expected to beat online channels not just in two periods, the weekend after Thanksgiving, but also in Black Friday and the post-Christmas week leading up to New Year’s Day by in-store shopping.
- These were periods that averaged heavy traffic from the public going into physical stores primarily due to doorbuster deals, last-minute shopping, and the consumer’s need to have immediate availability of products.
- Even though the trend was massively leading to online shopping, these incidences were an example of how traditional retail could still have its allure during those magic holiday moments.
Online Vs In-store Shopping On Purchasing Products
(Source: statista.com)
- Consumers depended on both digital and physical world channels to find the products they wanted in 2022.
- However, some items were available from specialty store offerings that attracted a few customers to buy them.
- According to online vs. In-store shopping statistics, currently, more than one-third of the American population prefers buying clothes digitally.
- Such a trend, however, did not stop clothing stores from drawing so many customers: Almost 60% of Americans have shopped at least once within the year at a clothing store.
- Other specialty stores have less to offer, as people are using online platforms and department stores for most of their shopping.
- In 2022, one in two Americans shopped at a department store, while only 22% of Americans could be found milling around at a bookstore.
- Books, in particular, were more popular online, with 31% of Americans preferring a digital venue for buying them.
- Some forms, such as drugs and health products and do-it-yourself items and products for gardening, still had significant advantages on physical shop floors.
- For example, drugstores had 20% points more in-store, by-their-nature habitual customers than online buyers.
- Drugstores and perfumeries fall among the most frequently visited brick-and-mortar institutions, just after pharmacies, department stores, and clothing stores. Supermarkets were not included in the survey.
Online Vs In-store Shopping Spending
(Reference: statista.com)
- A survey on online vs. In-store shopping statistics by the United States in September 2023 revealed that consumers intended to allocate more than 60% of their total expenditure on holidays to online shopping.
- The rest of their budget was set aside for brick-and-mortar purchases, revealing quite a strong aversion to offline channels during this season.
(Reference: statista.com)
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics indicate that Consumers’ online and offline shopping preferences vary greatly across countries. In America, only 43% of consumers are interested in purchasing online, while 7% buy things in person.
- Online shopping in Italy is quite similar, with 37% preferring online shopping and 25% in-store shopping.
- In contrast, in-store shopping seems to be favored over online shopping in like Austria and New Zealand, which have %ages of 38% and 39%, respectively, with lower online figures of 23% and 25%.
- In Ireland and Australia, consumer preferences are not particularly well balanced, and both have a local online and in-store shopping figure of about 32% for online and 35% for in-store shopping.
- It is quite remarkable that the Netherlands would equalize, with around 29% of consumers opting for each of the two shopping methods.
- Other countries such as France and Norway are also very close to this average, as in France, 31% buy online, and 32% do so offline. In Norway, it is at 27% online versus 32% for in-store purchases.
- Germany, Sweden, and the UK show a very high share of online shopping, between 33% and 35%, yet a significant preference for in-store shopping still applies with values between 25% and 26%.
- Poland and Portugal present a similar showdown between both modes of shopping, with equal shares of around 30% for both.
- The differences show, therefore, different consumer behavior across regions and roots relating to such factors as infrastructure, cultural habits, and access to digital services.
Weekly Consumers Of Online Vs In-store Shopping
(Reference: statista.com)
- Although consumers visit stores much more than online shopping, there is still significant weekly online shopping.
- For example, in 2023, about 50% of UK surveyed consumers reported weekly online shopping.
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics show that More than 75% of shoppers in the UK also visited physical stores within the week. Likewise, the proportion of Australians who shopped online and in physical stores weekly was similar.
Sales Of Online Retail Stores
(Source: statista.com)
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics show that E-commerce sales, at 17.1% of total retail sales in the U.S., set a record high during Q4 2023 and greatly exceeded the average of 14.7%in the first nine months of the year.
- This signifies the increasing importance of e-commerce, which has climbed from below 5% of total retail sales in 2010 to upwards of 15% in the previous year’s sales.
- Notably, the shift to online sales was intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was recorded as the most unusual spike in Q2 2020 when most people were confined to their homes.
- Since then, trends have leveled off, and into 2023, the e-commerce share of retail sales returns to its pre-pandemic growth trajectory. Interestingly, though, the holiday effect on e-commerce sales has become less marked over pre-pandemic years.
- In 2021, 2022, and 2023, for example, the %age of Q4 e-commerce shares was 13%, 16%, and 16% above the respective averages for Q1-Q3.
- Before the pandemic, seasonal spikes ranged from about 25 to 30%. This implies that e-commerce nowadays plays a role much more consistently throughout the year rather than just during holiday periods.
Global Online Retailer’s Cross-Border Purchase
(Reference: statista.com)
- In 2023, shoppers from different countries went to many online retail sites just to make their latest cross-border purchases.
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics show that among these specific platforms, Amazon led the way with 24%, followed by Alibaba/AliExpress at 16%.
- Shein took third place at 9%. Among others, eBay and Temu each captured 7% of purchases, with Wish and Zalando accounting for 3% and 2%, respectively.
- Finally, the other online retailers represent a good 30% of cross-border purchases, demonstrating a variety of platforms used by consumers when shopping internationally.
Online Vs In-store Shopping By Consumer Behavior
- Indeed, consumer preferences and opinions primarily guide online shopping, often more than conventional shopping influences on their purchases.
- Reviews and proper product photographs are particularly crucial as consumers don’t have the chance to hold or touch the product.
- For instance, 75% of online shoppers depend mostly on product images to decide on their purchase, and having these photographs increases the chances of sale significantly.
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics reveal that In the season of Yule, 57% of Americans will be online consumers, and 43% will peruse the brick-and-mortar outlets.
- Convenience weighs heavily on shopping behavior, with more than 80% avoiding the store because of its unswerving returns policy. This is one of the reasons many shoppers flock to large retail centers like Amazon, with their avowed ease of return.
- In the United States, fashion products represent around 23% of online sales, a %age which has increased steadily over the past two decades.
In Q2 2023, e-commerce sales in retail segmented into the following product categories:
- General merchandise stores, having contributed to sales (worth US$27 billion), accounted for 10.1% of total sales.
- Motor and vehicle parts dealers contributed to 5.4%, sales worth US$15 billion.
- Electronics and appliances stores account for 4.6%, with sales of US$13 billion.
- Non-store retailers received 61.8% of sales, amounting to US$168 billion.
- Clothing and Clothing accessories stores accounted for 6.2, selling US$17 billion.
- Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores held 1.6% of sales – US$4 billion.
- Food and beverage shops drew US$7 billion in sales, which amounted to 2.8%.
- Miscellaneous categories like gas stations comprised 1.8, or US$5 billion.
- Healthcare and personal care stores accounted for 0.7, making US$2 billion.
- Building materials, garden equipment, and supplies dealers made up 0.03: 3.7 % with US$10 billion in sales.
- This was contributed by sporting goods, hobbies, musical instruments, and bookstores, which added up to 1.3 US$4 billion.
Online Vs In-store Shopper Statistics
- Indeed, the quintessentially present consumer may cite convenience as the ultimate reason for shopping online as well as offline, not minding the kinds of habits or preferences she or he has.
- In reality, 29% of American consumers would rather do shopping online, while 45% would rather do shopping offline.
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics state that 26% have not committed to any particular version or opt not to answer.
- Among the online shoppers, 73% attributed their preference to convenience, while 65% cited speed as a primary contributive factor.
- Among the in-store shoppers, 54% find their experience more pleasurable, and 47% say it is easier to compare items at physical locations; in addition, 47% of them cite convenience as the reason for preferring to shop in stores.
- Some product categories are distinctly skewed towards online shopping; for example, 37% of people prefer to purchase their electronics online, and 33% would rather buy their apparel, shoes, and accessories that way.
- 29% would like to buy beauty and personal care products via online shopping. 23% buy furnishings and appliances over the Internet, and 19% buy their groceries and household items online.
Online Vs In-store Statistics By Generation
(Reference: capitaloneshopping.com)
- Older generations prefer shopping in-store. Younger generations tend to shop online more often.
- Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, and they are the group that mostly shopped in physical stores—33.3% more Baby Boomers shop in-store compared to all other shoppers.
- As for online shopping, the so-called Millennials—those born from 1980 to 1994—are by far the most likely group to purchase online, with 14.3% more of them shopping primarily online than the rest of the population.
- Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2003, is the generation that is most likely to adopt hybrid shoppers, treating both online and in-store shopping as options.
- This shows that Gen Z has 33.3% more hybrid shoppers than all consumers.
- Online vs. In-store shopping statistics show that in terms of shopping usage, 74% of U.S. Gen Z residents shopped in-store in 2021, while 73% shopped on the Internet. About 36% of Gen Z consumers shop regularly both online and at stores.
- If given a choice between shopping in stores or shopping online, 41% of Gen Z adults prefer shopping in-store, while 34% prefer shopping online. The rest, 25%, either have no preference or declined to answer.
- Generation Y, on the other hand, adopts a fully different approach from Generation X in terms of shopping-while 82 % of Millennials shopped in-store in 2021, 85 % shopped online.
- Nearly 30 % of Millennials tend to regularly shop both in-store and online. If given a choice, 36 % would go in-store, while 38 % prefer online shopping.
- The remaining 26 either had no preference or chose not to answer. In-store shopping: both Millennials and Gen X, those born between 1965 and 1979, shop online as frequently as Millennials do.
- However, they shop in-store almost as similarly as Baby Boomers do. 88 % of Gen X consumers did in-store shopping in 2021, whereas 85% did online.
- About 23% of Gen X consumers regularly shop both online and in-store. Given a choice, 44% of Generation X would prefer to shop in a store, while 30% would prefer to shop online.
- The remaining 26% either have no preference or declined to answer.
- Interestingly, Baby Boomers are most likely to be attracted to the traditional shopping trip: out of 89% who visited the store in the year 2021, 90% also went online.
- Roughly 18% of Baby Boomers buy from both online and brick-and-mortar stores.
- If offered a choice, 47% of Baby Boomers would shop in a store, while 30% would prefer shopping online.
- The other 23% either have no preference or declined to answer.
Conclusion
According to online vs. in-store shopping statistics, online shopping complements in-store shopping to a high degree, and in 2024, it will be enhanced by the convenience, personalization, and technology offered. Retailers emulating omnichannel strategies will be most prepared to leverage potential future growth.
Sources
FAQ.
According to reports from 2023, more than 60% of Americans would use their holiday budgets for online shopping, with this also being a part of the spending on in-store purchases. However, it can be viewed that the growing prominence of e-commerce can be emphasised during peak seasons, even holidays.
The difference in preference for online and in-store shopping varies considerably from one country to another. For example, among the consumers of the U.S., 43% prefer online shopping, whereas in Austria and New Zealand, in-store is favoured. These are influenced by cultural habits, infrastructure and access to digital services.
Older generations, like Baby Boomers, might prefer shopping in physical stores; however, the younger generations, such as Millennials, tend to shop more through online stores. However, the Z generation looks like it adopts a hybrid approach and would prefer utilising both online shopping and in-store shopping for their purchases.
Similar to most online shopping places in the U.S., fashion comprises 23% of all online shopping, followed by items such as electronics, personal care, and beauty items, and still, those categories such as groceries and health products prefer in-store shopping.
E-commerce sales accounted for 17.1% of total U.S. retail sales during Q4 2023. This percentage continues to grow since it has increased annually, and the role of e-commerce in the year has been continuous rather than confined to a particular season, especially the holiday season.
Saisuman is a professional content writer specializing in health, law, and space-related articles. Her experience includes designing featured articles for websites and newsletters, as well as conducting detailed research for medical professionals and researchers. Passionate about languages since childhood, Saisuman can read, write, and speak in five different languages. Her love for languages and reading inspired her to pursue a career in writing. Saisuman holds a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has worked in a Human Resources firm for a year. She was previously associated with a French international company. In addition to writing, Saisuman enjoys traveling and singing classical songs in her leisure time.