Online shopping has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many physical stores closed and social distancing measures in place, consumers have turned to online shopping as a safer and more convenient way to shop. According to the Digital Commerce 360 report, U.S. e-commerce sales grew 44% to $861.12 billion in 2020, up from $598.02 billion in 2019. 카지노사이트
The report also revealed that online marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart saw the strongest growth, followed by online grocery and hardware stores. The pandemic has also led to a change in consumer behavior, with many people trying to shop online for the first time. This change is expected to have a long-term impact on retail, as more consumers are likely to continue shopping online even after the pandemic has passed.
Online shopping went from novelty to norm many years ago:
Amazon began as an online bookseller nearly three decades ago, in 1995, and now reports that customers are retailing about 7,400 items from sellers in the United States buy states. But the pandemic has changed consumer habits in a way that has encouraged online buying of even basic necessities like toilet paper. According to the Annual Retail Trade Survey, e-commerce sales grew by $244 billion — or 43% — in 2020 from $571 billion in 2019 to $815. Billion in 2020.
This increase was at least partly due to a desire to avoid cramped facilities. However, experts say it could also be related to self-soothing behaviors. Research has long suggested that retail therapy can be therapeutic. For example, a 2014 study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology shows that shopping helps people feel happier instantly and also fights lingering sadness. The study authors believe one reason is that making purchasing decisions provides a sense of personal control and autonomy.
Shopping is driven by emotion in many ways, says Jorge Barraza, program director and assistant professor of the online master’s program in applied psychology at the University of Southern California. “When we’re sad, when we’re stressed, we’re more likely to engage in these kinds of behaviors,” she says.
Note that in some cases, the spark of joy created by a fancy new dress or gadget may not last forever, especially if the buyer knows they are mismanaging their money. “This mood boost may be temporary when you spend more than you can afford, but temporarily, at least, it seems to restore a sense of control and reduce any residual sadness people may be feeling.”
Why Shop Online Makes People So Happy
In many ways, online shopping catapults the pleasure of in-person shopping into another, almost overwhelming, stratosphere. “It’s so powerful psychologically,” says Joshua Klapow, a psychologist and assistant professor of public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (He’s also the new owner of three inflatable pool floats, a collapsible whip, two jars of almond butter, and 50 pounds of bird seed he ordered online.) 온라인카지노사이트
Compared to shopping in person, “it’s a much more rewarding experience overall because there’s less friction, fewer barriers, less behavioral costs, more specificity, and more choice,” she says.
In addition, “shopping is completely tailored to us. We can shop fast or slow.” One reason online shopping is so appealing is convenience. Klapow notes that when we shop in person, we need to walk, drive, or find another way to to get there, and then we did it walking from one corridor to another to find what we are looking for.
Even in stores that offer contactless payments, it’s a hassle to complete a transaction — like swiping a credit card or Apple Pay on your phone. Then the buyer has to go home. “For many people, these incredibly small annoyances impact the overall perceived value of the purchase,” she says.
Besides making online shopping easier, it gives you the satisfaction of accuracy. When Klapow goes to a department store, she might not find the shirt she’s looking for in the right size or color. When they shop online, they’re more likely to buy exactly what they want with a lot less effort.
What to do if you think you have a problem
Researchers define compulsive buying as “an engagement in buying and shopping, frequent episodes of buying, or a buying impulse that seems irresistible and unreasonable.” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether your online shopping habits are problematic, says Barraza, but in general it’s a good idea to ask yourself whether your purchases are affecting your quality of life. 바카라사이트