Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Many retailers were not shopped by more than half of online shoppers
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- Figure 1: Select retailers shopped, March 2017
- Most consumers aren’t making purchases on smartphones and tablets
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- Figure 2: Frequency and method of online shopping, March 2017
- The opportunities
- Grocery has potential to drive frequent online trips
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- Figure 3: Online grocery shopping and items purchased, by parental status, March 2017
- Men are valuable online shoppers
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- Figure 4: Retailers shopped, by gender, March 2017
- Opportunities to engage hesitant shoppers
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Positive growth expected to continue
- All devices expected to drive sales
- Most Americans have internet access
Market Size and Forecast
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- Positive growth will continue, driven by current users doing more shopping online
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- Figure 5: Total US online retail sales and fan chart forecast of market, at current prices, 2012-22
- Figure 6: Total US online retail sales and forecast, 2012-22
Market Breakdown
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- Mobile capturing more sales than tablets, but both expected to grow
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- Figure 7: US retail mobile shopping sales and forecast, at current prices, 2014-21
- Figure 8: US retail mobile shopping sales and forecast, by device, at current prices, 2014-21
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- Figure 9: US retail online shopping sales, by platform, at current prices, 2015 and 2017
Market Factors
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- A changing population is shopping differently
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- Figure 10: Population by age, 2012-22
- Increases in household income can lead to increased internet access
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- Figure 11: Personal and household device ownership, January 2017
- Figure 12: Median household income, by race/Hispanic origin of householder, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2005-15
- A growing Hispanic population could have positive impact on online shopping
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- Figure 13: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2012-22
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Amazon dominates online
- Mass merchandisers are growing
- Many other retailers are underperforming
What’s Working?
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- Amazon and mass merchandisers are most-shopped retailers online
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- Figure 14: Retailers shopped and frequency – Amazon and mass merchandisers, March 2017
What’s Struggling?
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- Many consumers are limiting where they shop online
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- Figure 15: Retailers shopped and frequency – Beauty and toy stores, March 2017
- Smart phones and tablets mainly used for single purchases
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- Figure 16: Frequency and method of online shopping, March 2017
- Subscription services remain unpopular with majority of consumers
What’s Next?
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- Online grocery retailing presents an opportunity
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- Figure 17: Retailers shopped and frequency – Grocery, March 2017
- The growing role of social media
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- Figure 18: Prepurchase process – Social media, March 2017
- Leverage tools to better engage hesitant shoppers
- Amazon continues to expand
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Consumers are doing their research
- Computers most used for online purchases
- Amazon and mass merchandisers lead in retailers shopped
- Clothes, beauty, and electronics are top purchases and influence consumer spending
- Shoppers are most concerned with prices, returns, and seamless services
Prepurchase Process
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- Searches, price comparisons, and reviews are key parts of the online shopping process
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- Figure 19: Prepurchase process – Ever do, march 2017
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- Figure 20: Prepurchase process, select factors by generation, March 2017
- Social media use
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- Figure 21: Prepurchase process, any social media use – By age, March 2017
- Hispanic consumers’ prepurchase process
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- Figure 22: Prepurchase process, by Hispanic origin, March 2017
Frequency and Method of Online Shopping
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- Computers most-used method for online shopping
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- Figure 23: Frequency and method of online shopping, March 2017
- Smartphones and tablets are used more for single purchases
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- Figure 24: Frequency of online purchases, by device, March 2017
- Frequency is split between single purchases and stock-up trips
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- Figure 25: Frequency of online shopping, by household size, March 2017
- Hispanics are comfortable shopping on multiple devices
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- Figure 26: Repertoire – Frequency and method of online shopping, by Hispanic origin, March 2017
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- Figure 27: Frequency and method of online shopping, by Hispanic origin and Hispanic Millennials, March 2017
Retailers Shopped
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- Consumers shopping many retailers, most monthly
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- Figure 28: Retailers shopped, March 2017
- Parents are a key target for online grocery shopping
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- Figure 29: Retailers shopped, by parental status, March 2017
- Hispanic consumers shop more retailers, more often
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- Figure 30: Retailers shopped part 1, by Hispanic origin, March 2017
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- Figure 31: Retailers shopped part 2, by Hispanic origin, March 2017
Items Purchased
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- Clothing and accessories, beauty, and electronics win online
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- Figure 32: Items purchased, by online shopping frequency, March 2017
- Other categories purchased less often
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- Figure 33: Items purchased – Least purchased items, March 2017
- Subscription services of interest to certain consumers
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- Figure 34: Items purchased – Subscription services use, by select demographics, March 2017
- Hispanic consumers shopping more categories
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- Figure 35: Select items purchased, by Hispanic origin and Hispanic Millennials, March 2017
Average Cart Spend
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- Cart spend mirrors frequency of purchases
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- Figure 36: Average cart spend, March 2017
- Who’s spending what online
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- Figure 37: Average cart spend, by parental status, March 2017
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- Figure 38: Average cart spend, by Hispanic origin and Hispanic Millennials, March 2017
- Items purchased can influence the cart spend
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- Figure 39: Items purchased, by average cart spend, March 2017
Attitudes towards Online Shopping
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- Better prices are an expectation
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- Figure 40: Attitudes toward online shopping, by online shopping frequency, March 2017
- Free returns and seamless services are important to many
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- Figure 41: Attitudes toward shopping – Services, by gender and age, March 2017
- Preferences related to product information
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- Figure 42: Attitudes toward online shopping – Product information, by gender and age, March 2017
- Security concerns may deter online shopping
- Hispanic consumers more likely to shop online for various reasons
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- Figure 43: Attitudes toward online shopping, by Hispanic origin and Hispanic Millennials, March 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 44: Total US online retail sales and forecast, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
- Figure 45: US retail mobile shopping sales and forecast, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-21
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 46: Prepurchase process, social media use, by age – March 2017
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- Figure 47: Prepurchase process, social media use, by parental status – March 2017
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- Figure 48: Repertoire – Frequency and method of online shopping, by demographics, March 2017
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- Figure 49: Average cart spend, by Repertoire – Frequency and method of online shopping, March 2017
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