Shoppers spend bigger and are more likely to buy extra items in store versus online, study shows

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Mar 5, 2019

A new report has found that both men and women are spending significantly more in store than online during their average shopping visit, with 71% of respondents (72% of men and 70% of women) saying they typically spend more than $50 when shopping in store, while only 54% of respondents (59% of men and 49% of women) are spending the same amount when shopping online.

The survey, conducted by First Insight, Inc., additionally found that 34% of respondents (36% of men and 33% of women) said they spent over $100 during an average in-store shopping visit, compared to only 21% (26% of men and 17% of women) who reported spending the same amount when shopping online.

Although those surveyed said they typically shop in store only when they have a specific need for an item or product, the temptation to add extra items to their carts was stronger during an offline shopping experience. In the report, 78% of men and 89% of women said they "sometimes or always" add additional items to their cart. However, only 67% of men and 77% of women reported making similar last-minute add-ons online. 

"Even as online sales grow, this research shows that retailers must work to strike the right balance with consumers who are shopping differently online than they are in-store," said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight. "The fact that consumers are less likely to add items to a cart when shopping online implies that online recommendations are not as effective as they should be. Retailers need to be sure to offer the products consumers need and want at the right price points no matter where they are shopping, and must continue to work to drive traffic in-store where consumers are willing to spend more."

Additional findings included the fact that men are slightly more likely to use in-store technology (40 to 47% of men versus 33 to 40% of women) and prefer to buy clothes in store, while both men and women were more likely to buy tech online at 52% of men and 43% of women.