Survey: Two-thirds of U.S. households shop online weekly
E-commerce is becoming increasingly common, but the store is still a critical part of the consumer journey.
Online shopping is now a weekly habit for two-thirds of U.S. households (86 million), up from two in five households in 2019, according to new data from Numerator. Since 2019, online's share of one- to two-item baskets doubled from 16% to 32%, while its share of large, stock-up baskets grew from 3% to 12%.
In addition to becoming more common, the categories that are being shopped are also evolving. Online share grew fivefold in quick-serve restaurants, fourfold in grocery and threefold in household products, while health & beauty, home improvement, pet, home & garden, baby, and apparel each doubled their online share since 2019.
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Despite this, Numerator found that the top sources for product discovery are at physical stores (55%) and friends & family (55%). Consumers primarily see future physical stores as a place to buy products in person (44%) or as a part of integrated shopping experiences. More than three-quarters (77%) of households reported engaging in buy online, pick up in-store shopping in the past.
Additional insights from Numerator include the following:
- In 2025, Walmart shoppers bought an average of 69 different brands online (up from 20 in 2019), Amazon shoppers bought 63 brands (up from 40) and Target shoppers bought 28 brands (up from nine).
- A majority (61%) of consumers sometimes or often buy from direct-to-consumer websites or apps, and 53% rate those experiences as better than retailer websites.
- Three-quarters (77%) of consumers are willing to switch online retailers for a better price.
- While AI tools can assist with finding deals, concerns around the use of personal data (48%) and sharing credit card details (41%) push consumers toward being more comfortable receiving AI support on retail (46%) and brand websites (40%) than on standalone AI platforms (30%).
Numerator's "The State of Commerce: Online & Retail Shopping Trends in 2026” report combines verified purchasing behavior with a Verified Voices survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers.
