Survey: Americans are ready to spend on some fun

As vaccinations increase, U.S. consumers are preparing themselves to enjoy the upcoming summer.

According to a new survey of more than 13,000 U.S. consumers by shopping rewards app Shopkick, 83% of respondents report feeling financially secure and ready to put their budgets toward non-essential purchases. During summer 2021, 80% of respondents plan to spend similar amounts or more than the previous summer on non-essentials.

Top summer non-essential spending categories include clothing and accessories (45%), dining out (43%), travel (41%), hobbies (36%), entertainment (25%), and household decor (25%). And with more widespread vaccinations, 60% of respondents plan to resume travel within the next six months. 

Other interesting findings include:

•    Most Gen Z respondents (64%) plan to put the majority of their non-essential spending budgets toward new clothing and accessories, more than millennials (50%), Gen Xers (45%) and baby boomers (42%).
•    Three-quarters (74%) of respondents report shopping online less frequently now than a month ago. Sixty-two percent feel more comfortable shopping in-store now compared to April 2020, which helps explain why 61% of non-essential purchases have been made in-store in the past month.
•    More than six in 10 (62%) respondents say they will continue to use self-checkout, while 32% plan to continue using curbside pickup and touchless payment options. However, far fewer respondents plan to continue using grocery delivery (13%) and BOPIS (4%).

“It is clear from our findings that this summer represents a great opportunity for non-essential retailers to win back shoppers who are eager to spend,” said Dave Fisch, GM of Shopkick. “To take advantage of this moment, retailers and brands must continue to monitor consumer expectations, especially in-store, and Shopkick is committed to helping our partners do so.”