U.S. Consumers are Snapping Up 'Everything' Online

In addition, 72 percent of consumers buy something online at least once a month.

NORTH AMERICA–From small, inexpensive household goods to high-priced purchases such as automobiles, the scope and willingness of consumers to make a purchase online spans nearly everything, according to digital marketing agency Adtaxi.

The findings are part of Adtaxi’s inaugural State of E-Commerce in America survey, which looks at e-commerce trends and consumer preferences nationwide. It also reveals how often consumers are purchasing goods online, what they’re buying and the method in which they’re purchasing them.

Key highlights from the study include:

• Fifty-five percent of consumers would be happy to buy everything online.
• Convenience was the No. 1 reason (50 percent) people shop online.
• Seventy-two percent of consumers buy something online at least once a month.
• Thirty-two percent of consumers say they would buy a car online.
• Approximately 59 percent of consumers purchase clothing online in a typical month.
• When shopping online for a product, the most common (46 percent) first step in the process is visiting an online retailer like Amazon or eBay. However, 16 percent will visit the brand’s actual site first.
• Running out of necessities most commonly (33 percent) prompts consumers’ online purchases.
• Older consumers are more concerned with sharing info (27 percent) than shipping time (4 percent), whereas the opposite (9 percent and 22 percent, respectively) is true for younger consumers.
• Shipping costs are consumers’ least favorite (40 percent) aspect of shopping online.

The survey also discovered that 89 percent of consumers have gone to a retail store first and looked for better prices online; 91 percent of consumers have done shopping research online before going to a retail store; and 54 percent of consumers who research online first ask the retailer to match the online price.

“These findings show a clear and growing interest from consumers to move away from traditional brick-and-mortar retail models and more toward e-commerce,” says Evan Tennant, national director of e-commerce, Adtaxi. “With the digital evolution of retail, consumers are becoming increasingly accustomed to the convenience of shopping from their couch, on the go, or virtually anytime they need things most–and all at the most competitive price–something that was never possible before.