How Can Retailers Best Address Current US Shopper Psychology and Habits?

In a recent report comprised of Omnisend shopper data pertaining to the last 12 months, several interesting revelations about the current psychology of U.S. shoppers were outlined. Among these — the fact that nearly half of Americans have hidden a purchase from someone (most commonly a spouse or partner); that shopping has permeated every aspect of daily life, no matter what’s happening or where an individual consumer may be; and that shoppers are reluctant to stop their buying habits, seeking to trade down or find alternatives rather than to buy less entirely.

On the 44% of Americans who’ve hidden an online purchase — concerning this cohort, 21% hid at least one purchase from a spouse or partner, 14% from kids in the household, 12% from parents, and 12% from friends. Reasons vary, with 17% explaining that the item was expensive, 15% that it was either unnecessary or an impulsive buy, and 15% stated that the item purchased was either personal or embarrassing. However, 32% of those who had hidden an online buy did so because it was a gift for the person they were hiding it from, which makes logical sense.

“People are feeling more accountable for every dollar, especially at home. When money is tighter, purchases carry more weight — and sometimes that means keeping them private. It’s not as much about secrecy for secrecy’s sake, but more about avoiding judgment,” Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert with Omnisend, said in a press release.

Digging deeper into the data:

• Shopping takes place everywhere, at any time: Shoppers are active at all times — one example being that nearly one-quarter (21.5%) of consumers have even made purchases while on the toilet. About two-thirds (66.5%) have shopped from their living room couch, more than half (51%) while watching TV or streaming, and 42.1% while in bed. Almost one-third (28.8%) admitted to shopping while at work, while nearly equal cohorts indicated they’d shopped while socializing (14.7%) or while waiting in line with little else to do (14.5%). About 12% said they had made a purchase while on public transport, nearly 9% did so while getting fit at the gym, and 5.9% indicated they’d zoned out during a meeting to snag a quick buy.
• Deals, deals, deals: Almost half of U.S. shoppers (49.7%) regularly wait for promotions or sales before buying, and 43.1% do their due diligence and engage in comparison shopping across multiple websites to score the best deal. Exactly 40% of American consumers look around for discount codes prior to checkout, and 34.3% either use cashback programs or loyalty/rewards programs. About one-quarter (24.3%) decide on a cheaper alternative than their initial idea, while just under one-fifth (19.3%) get a little creative, intentionally abandoning their cart to see if the retailer will send them a discount email afterwards. Only a very slim minority (8.3%) indicate that they don’t actively try to save money while shopping online.

Rising Prices See US Shoppers Make Behavioral Changes — Without Kicking the Habit Entirely

If anything, U.S. consumers appear to be well-trained to keep buying, no matter the economic circumstances.

“Even with the rising prices, online shoppers aren’t ready to quit their habit entirely. But they’re for sure making some adjustments,” the Omnisend report noted, pivoting to discuss the details.

When asked the question of what sorts of substitutions shoppers had made in order to save a few bucks when shopping online, those polled answered:

• A majority (57.3%) said they traded down to lower-priced brands in a broad sense, and 46% specifically singled out that they’d swapped for private-label brand alternatives.
• More than a quarter (28.7%) of respondents said they opted for simpler products, or those with fewer features.
• Only a slightly smaller segment (26.3%) indicated they’d opted for second-hand or refurbished items.
• Just over one-quarter (26%) of consumers polled said they’d selected smaller package sizes, while 16.7% admitted to purchasing dupes instead of originals.
• Finally, only 7.5% of respondents answered with “I don’t substitute; I just buy less.”

“Overall, the data points to adaptation rather than withdrawal. Shoppers are becoming more price-sensitive, more selective, and more willing to compromise on brand, features, or timing to keep spending within reach,” the report concluded.