Shopping Habits
As the U.S. economy begins to reopen, we polled our audience to learn how their shopping habits have changed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, and how they expect these behaviors to shift in the next 30 days. With case counts trending upward and positive test results rising in more than half of the states lifting restrictions, we also explore Americans' level of comfort with shopping in-store and resuming other aspects of public life during this transition.
May 12, 2020
How do you expect your shopping habits to change in the next 30 days as retail stores begin to open?
27
of Americans have increased their online shopping since the onset of the outbreak, while 47% are making the same amount of online purchases.
75
of Americans expect to continue to shop the same or more online as retail stores begin to open.
What are you spending the most on when shopping online?
When asked what they're spending the most on when shopping online, 36% indicated food as the top category, followed by fashion and accessories (19%), and consumer technology (10%).
Compared to those doing less online shopping, Americans making more online purchases are spending more on fashion and accessories.
May 5, 2020
How have your online shopping behaviors changed since the start of the coronavirus outbreak?
29% of Americans have increased their online shopping since the onset of the outbreak, while 52% are making the same amount of online purchases.
What are you spending the most on?
75% of Americans are spending the most on food, followed by cleaning supplies (7%) and paper goods (5%). Americans are spending the least on fitness products, perhaps using what they already have on hand for their home workout routines.
How is this data collected?
‘Fluent Pulse’ reflects a daily online survey collected across Fluent’s portfolio of owned & operated websites.
Who is the audience?
Fluent attracts a massive audience across its network of owned media properties. While all segments of the US population are represented, the below are our most prevalent demographic skews:
| Demographic Attribute | Over Penetrated Among |
| Age | Median: 38
61% between the age of 18 & 44 |
| Gender | 50/50 Male/Female |
| Education | High School Degree or Some College |
| Homeownership | 61% Renters |
| Households with Children | 42% of Audience |
How many people were surveyed?
On average, 150,000 – 175,000 consumers respond daily.
Is the data weighted?
No, but representative of the overall Fluent Audience.
How do you protect consumers data privacy?
All responses related to this survey are anonymized; only survey responses will be disclosed. At no point will consumer’s personal information will ever be disclosed.
What was your methodology?
Data has been collected from U.S. adults on a daily or weekly basis, dependent upon topic, since March 10, 2020. All data is sourced from Fluent’s portfolio of owned and operated media properties. Results are specific to the Fluent audience and not reflective of the general U.S. population.
The data presented on this site does not reflect the official opinion, policy or position of Fluent, Inc. This research is only meant to inform and illustrate, as an example, the rich data assets Fluent can derive insights from to drive in-market strategies.