2022 Online Shopping Consumer Report
The past few years have undoubtedly impacted how the world shops online. According to Business Insider and eMarketer’s joint research firm Insider Intelligence, e-commerce sales in the U.S. are expected to cross $1 trillion in 2022. Prior to the pandemic, the $1 trillion sales milestone was not forecasted to be hit until 2024. The firm estimates worldwide e-commerce sales to reach $5 trillion in 2022 and $6 trillion by 2024.
At MyUS, we give international shoppers the ability to shop the world’s favorite stores and affordably ship products to their doorsteps. As such, we surveyed 1,124 U.S. consumers to explore anticipated trends in online shopping in 2022 (and beyond). Some of the topics we focused on within the report are consumers' anticipated online shopping frequency in the coming year, the products they are planning to purchase online, their anticipated support for independent/small businesses, their most anticipated online shopping days of the year, and more.
See the full report below:
The Pandemic’s Impact on Online Shopping
A large majority of survey respondents experienced an increase in online spending during the pandemic, with 73% reporting that they spent more money shopping online during the pandemic than they had prior to the pandemic. The frequency of their online shopping has increased as well, with 47% of respondents stating that they shop online far more now than they had prior to the pandemic.
And it doesn’t appear that it’s slowing down anytime soon, with 48% of respondents anticipating shopping online more often in 2022 than they did in 2021. In fact, 34% of respondents anticipate spending more money than they have budgeted for online shopping in 2022.
What Are the Main Reasons Respondents Anticipate Shopping Online More Often in 2022?
- 61% — Affordable/free shipping offered by online retailers
- 58% — Convenience factor/ease of use
- 53% — More products/options available online than before
- 49% — COVID-19/pandemic causing me to shop in person less frequently
- 35% — Cheaper prices online vs. in-store
- 28% — I’ve become accustomed to shopping online
- 23% — Variety of payment options
The Products Consumers Anticipate Purchasing Online More in 2022 (Compared to Previous Years)
- 56% — Clothing/apparel
- 49% — Holiday-related shopping/gifting
- 44% — Household items (detergent, cleaners, toilet paper, etc.)
- 39% — Electronics (cell phones, headphones, TVs, etc.)
- 39% — Grocery shopping
- 33% — Online food ordering/delivery
- 29% — Physical media (physical copies of music/movies/tv shows, etc.)
- 27% — Video games (downloads/streaming or physical games)
- 25% — Appliances (coffee machines, toasters, dishwashers, etc.)
- 23% — Medical/pharmacy
- 22% — Subscription services (subscription boxes, mail-order clubs, etc.)
- 16% — Furniture shopping
- 10% — Alcohol/beer/wine
Looking Ahead: Social Media & Voice Shopping
Social media is no longer just a platform to connect with friends and relatives or scroll through photos — it has become a destination for online shopping. According to a 2021 report from Statista, it was estimated that more than 55% of social media users in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 24 made at least one purchase through social channels.
In fact, 37% of respondents who participated in our survey have recently purchased an item online that was promoted/shared by someone they follow on social media. Additionally, 29% of respondents anticipate purchasing products directly on social media platforms more often in 2022 than in previous years.
Voice shopping with new technology like smart speakers has become more widespread among consumers, with 45.2 million U.S. adults having used voice to shop for a product at least once in 2021 (up 120% from 2018), according to the 2021 Voice Shopping Consumer Adoption Report from Voicebot.
Additionally, according to respondents surveyed in our report, 23% have recently purchased products online via a smart speaker and 1 in 4 anticipate making a purchase via a smart speaker in 2022.
Abandoned Ship(ping)
According to the consumers surveyed, shipping costs are a major factor in their reasons to abandon their online cart. In fact, 64% of respondents have recently abandoned items in their cart after seeing high shipping costs when shopping online. Additionally, 85% of respondents are ‘somewhat likely’ to ‘extremely likely’ to abandon the items in their cart again if shipping costs are seemingly too high.
The largest concerns that consumers have around online shopping are related to shipping, according to our respondents. An “increase in shipping fees” and “shipping delays” topped the list as the two largest areas of concern for consumers for online shopping in 2022. MyUS continues to leverage longstanding partnerships with a variety of global logistics companies to ensure savings and fast international shipping for customers looking to ship from the U.S. to over 220 countries and territories worldwide.
Which Days of the Year Are Consumers Anticipating Doing the Most Shopping in 2022?
Interestingly, respondents are anticipating Amazon Prime Day to be the top online shopping day of 2022, with half of the respondents saying they anticipate doing significant online shopping for Amazon Prime Day 2022. The holiday shopping season was runner-up (48%), with Black Friday (46%), Cyber Monday (45%), Relatives’ or Friends’ Birthdays (38%), Small Business Saturday (16%), and Singles’ Day (4%) rounding out the list.
In fact, 43% of the consumers surveyed anticipate doing more online shopping for Amazon Prime Day in 2022 compared to 2021 (regardless of the deals that are featured). The same percentage of respondents (43%) said they anticipate doing more online shopping for Cyber Monday in 2022 compared to 2021 as well. Slightly less (41%) of the consumers surveyed anticipate doing more online shopping for Black Friday in 2022 compared to 2021. Lastly, 32% of respondents anticipate doing more online shopping for Small Business Saturday in 2022 compared to 2021.
Supporting Small Businesses Online
While the largest online shopping days of the year are a big draw for online shoppers, 57% of respondents believe it is more important to support small/independent businesses than it is to receive the best deals on products when shopping online.
According to the consumers we surveyed, shipping options are a powerful way to attract consumers, with 83% of respondents claiming they would be more inclined to support small/independent businesses that offer a wide range of shipping options (e.g., expedited shipping options, cost-effective shipping options, etc.).
The main factor preventing the consumers we surveyed from shopping online at small businesses more often is “the cost of shipping,” with 53% choosing that as the primary reason to shop elsewhere.
Conclusion
As our research illustrates, 2022 is stacking up to be an important year for online retailers and consumers alike. As online demand grows, MyUS stands ready to help consumers across the globe. Since 1997, MyUS has made it easy for people to shop and ship their favorite products from their favorite stores. Interested in learning how MyUS can help you shop the top stores in the U.S. and ship to your door? Click here.
Survey Methodology
- Total respondents: 1,124
- Margin of error: +/- 2.983%
- Country: United States (USA)
- Region: All Regions
- Gender: All Genders
- Gender balancing: Census
- Age of respondents: 18-99+
- Age balancing: Basic Census
The 2022 Online Shopping Consumer Report Infographic Transcript
The 2022 Online Shopping Consumer Report
- 73% of the consumers surveyed have spent more money shopping online during the pandemic than they had prior to the pandemic.
- More than 1 out of 3 respondents (34%) anticipate spending more money than they have budgeted for online shopping in 2022.
- 47% of respondents stated that they shop online far more now than they had prior to the pandemic.
The Pandemic’s Impact on Online Shopping
- 47% Shop online far more now than prior to the pandemic
- 32% Shop online slightly more now than prior to the pandemic
- 18% No change in online shopping since the pandemic
- 3% Shop online less often than before the pandemic
- 50% of female respondents shop online far more now than prior to the pandemic.
- 43% of male respondents shop online far more now than prior to the pandemic.
- 48% of the consumers surveyed said they anticipate shopping online more often in 2022 than they did in 2021.
The Main Reasons Respondents Plan on Shopping More Often in 2022 (Compared to 2021)
- 61% Affordable/free shipping offered by online retailers
- 58% Convenience factor/ease of use
- 53% More products/options available online than before
- 49% COVID-19/pandemic causing me to shop in person less frequently
- 35% Cheaper prices online vs. in-store
- 28% I’ve become accustomed to shopping online
- 23% Variety of payment options
The Products Consumers Anticipate Purchasing Online More in 2022 (Compared to Previous Years)
- 56% Clothing/apparel
- 49% Holiday-related shopping/gifting
- 44% Household items (detergent, cleaners, toilet paper, etc.)
- 39% Electronics (cell phones, headphones, TVs, etc.)
- 39% Grocery shopping
- 33% Online food ordering/delivery
- 29% Physical media (physical copies of music/movies/tv shows, etc.)
- 27% Video games (downloads/streaming or physical games)
- 25% Appliances (coffee machines, toasters, dishwashers, etc.)
- 23% Medical/pharmacy
- 22% Subscription services (subscription boxes, mail-order clubs, etc.)
- 16% Furniture shopping
- 10% Alcohol/beer/wine
Shopping on Social
- 37% of respondents have recently purchased an item online that was promoted/shared by someone they follow on social media.
- 29% of respondents anticipate purchasing products directly on social media platforms more often in 2022 than in previous years.
Shopping with Smart Speakers
- 23% of respondents have recently purchased products online via a smart speaker.
- 1 in 4 respondents anticipate purchasing products via a smart speaker in 2022.
Abandoned Carts
- 64% of respondents have recently abandoned the items in their cart after seeing high shipping costs when shopping online.
- 85% of respondents are ‘somewhat likely’ to ‘extremely likely’ to abandon the items in their cart again if shipping costs are seemingly too high.
The Largest Concerns Consumers Have About Online Shopping in 2022
- 63% Increase in shipping fees
- 63% Shipping delays
- 52% Product shortages/outages
- 46% Not being able to physically see/ experience the product before purchasing
- 39% Having to ship returns back to the retailers/return policies
- 38% Damage to products during transit
- 27% Package theft after purchase
- 58% of respondents are more likely to purchase from an online store if they offer environmentally friendly packaging and/or shipping options.
The Days of the Week Consumers Do the Majority of Their Online Shopping
- 35% Monday
- 31% Tuesday
- 36% Wednesday
- 30% Thursday
- 45% Friday
- 54% Saturday
- 42% Sunday
The Days of the Year Consumers Anticipate Doing Significant Online Shopping in 2022
- 50% Amazon Prime Day
- 48% Leading Up to the Holiday Season (Outside of the Days Listed)
- 46% Black Friday
- 45% Cyber Monday
- 38% Relatives’ or Friends’ Birthdays
- 16% Small Business Saturday
- 4% Singles’ Day
- 43% of the consumers surveyed anticipate doing more online shopping for Amazon Prime Day in 2022 compared to 2021 (regardless of the deals that are featured).
- 43% of respondents anticipate doing more online shopping for Cyber Monday in 2022 compared to 2021 (regardless of the deals that are featured).
- 41% of the consumers surveyed anticipate doing more online shopping for Black Friday in 2022 compared to 2021 (regardless of the deals that are featured).
- 32% of respondents anticipate doing more online shopping for Small Business Saturday in 2022 compared to 2021 (regardless of the deals that are featured).
Supporting Small Businesses Online
- 57% of respondents believe it is more important to support small/independent businesses than it is to receive the best deals on products when shopping online.
- 83% of the consumers surveyed would be more inclined to support small/independent businesses that offer a wide range of shipping options (e.g., expedited shipping options, cost-effective shipping options, etc.).
Where Respondents Shop Online
- 56% I tend to shop local stores (close to where I live)
- 53% I tend to shop stores that are located in the U.S.
- 33% I tend to shop stores that are located within the state I live
- 7% I tend to shop stores that are located internationally
The Main Factors Preventing Consumers from Shopping Online at Small Businesses More Often
- 53% The cost of shipping
- 50% The lack of trust in the website/store
- 36% The quality of products
- 20% The lack of expedited shipping options
- 18% The lack of shipping destination options/ inability to ship to my location
- 13% I purchase products online from international websites/stores
- 11% The lack of variety in products