New research: More U.S. consumers are willing to buy big-ticket items online

On May 21, according to foreign media reports, more and more American consumers are willing to buy products online, including expensive big-ticket items.

A survey by digital marketing agency Adtaxi shows that U.S. consumers are more willing than ever to buy big-ticket items online, such as homes (56%, compared to 49% in 2023), cars (58%, compared to 53% in 2023), and large appliances (78%, compared to 73% in 2023). At the same time, only 19 percent of consumers are not willing to buy daily necessities online, compared to 42 percent in 2017.

Currently, 93% of U.S. adults shop online, including 26% who shop daily (up from 24% in 2023) and 43% who shop weekly (up from 40% in 2023).

The increased willingness of consumers to buy products online is showing up in sales. According to Adobe, from January 1 to April 30, e-commerce spending in the United States increased 7% year-on-year to $331.6 billion. It is expected to exceed $500 billion in the first half of 2024, an increase of 6.8% year-on-year.

In addition, the survey found that free shipping remains the top factor influencing purchase decisions at 27 percent, along with product reviews (21 percent) and product search richness (15 percent). In terms of category preference, clothing fashion products remain the most popular online purchases, accounting for 56%. This is followed by beauty and personal care products (50%), groceries (48%), household goods (48%) and mattresses (11%).