After the indulgence of Thanksgiving, millions of Americans will spend today relaxing, eating leftovers, watching sports and — perhaps — indulging in some retail therapy on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Many brave the malls and shops themselves, while others click to buy from the comfort of their home using a laptop or phone — but just how much of total retail shopping is actually done online?
The answer is actually only about ~15%, although that figure typically rises during this time of the year, according to data from the US Census Bureau.
Have to be there
Needless to say, e-commerce got an enormous boost during the pandemic, with its share of retail sales reaching a peak of 17% in Q1 2020, when we were confined to our homes.
But, as the pandemic faded, shops and stores re-opened, and the world got back to something resembling normal, the share of stuff bought online did something surprising: it fell. Indeed, the 17% figure from 2020 is, so far, yet to be matched... proving that, sometimes, you just have to be there to buy.
