Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva

In-person, online, or hybrid shopping? American consumer habits are changing in surprising ways

A woman shopping online in front of a black-and-white image of a clothing store.

American consumers have long been a driving force of the country’s economy and, for the last decade, have been responsible for nearly 70% of U.S. gross domestic product. While spending has changed only a few percentage points since 2007, spending habits have undergone seismic shifts. 

Online sales were already growing before the onset of the pandemic, but it was supercharged when Americans opted for contactless shopping. In 2020, e-commerce sales increased by more than three times compared to pre-COVID-19 rates. While the rate has dropped since social distancing guidelines were lifted, shoppers are still logging on. As of mid-2023, nearly 15% of all retail sales were made online, according to the Census Bureau; five years earlier, that share was under 10%. 

It wasn’t so long ago when online shopping was brand new and apprehensions about the vulnerability of personal information, credit card numbers, and computer connections put many customers off. As payment security has advanced, retailers also perfected their online shopping experiences to attract even more