Consumer Behavior

Online consumer behavior differs among generations

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July 10, 2020

Online shopping during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic reveals different shopping behaviors by different generations of consumers, according to a PFS and Arlington Research study.

The report also identified behavior changes within the consumer generations. For example, 75% of millennials have bought goods online during the pandemic that they had not considered buying online prior to COVID-19, according to a press release on the study.

Other key data points include:
• Over half of consumers have made one or more online purchases in the groceries and household (56%) and health and beauty (51%) categories during the pandemic.
• Less than 50% of those consumers have made one or more online purchases across the rest of the categories surveyed including apparel and footwear, office supplies, home and garden, jewelry, and consumer electronics.
• Forty-six percent of millennials and Gen Z have more online grocery purchases than usual amid the pandemic, compared to just twenty-eight percent of baby boomers and the silent generation.

"Not surprisingly, consumers across generations are shopping online differently during the pandemic, and only time will tell if these behaviors will continue long-term," Zach Thomann, EVP and PFS general manager, said in the release. "It is critical that online brands and retailers analyze their customer demographics and create differentiated brand experiences that appeal to them during these uncertain times. Not all online retail categories are experiencing the same amount of growth, so differentiation is key to winning customers of all generations."

The study was conducted in April and May 2020, and polled 2,000 adults aged 18 and older across the U.S.