How Many Hours Do People Spend Online Shopping?

Many of us spend hours each week or even daily scrolling for the perfect deal. A recent survey of 2,000 people by OnePoll, commissioned by Citi for the Citi Shop browser extension, dives into Americans’ shopping habits, revealing just how dedicated we are to finding the best bargains.

People’s Shopping Habits

According to the survey, 42% want to chat about their great finds. Apparently, people are so focused on saving money that four in 10 are more likely to bring up a recent spend in conversation if they scored a good deal on it, so they can brag about their find.

The results also revealed that the average respondent spends 62 minutes shopping online each week, which adds up to about 54 hours per year.

For 52% of respondents, their online shopping habits have increased in the past year. When online shopping, 71% said the most important thing is the item’s price, even more so than the product’s quality (46%).

With price as the most important factor, six in 10 people surveyed “always” or “often” look for a promotion code or other offer before making an online purchase.

If it takes too long to find one, 37% said they won’t proceed with their purchase.

Generational Breakdown

Younger generations were the most likely to abandon their purchase if they couldn’t find a deal. More specifically, 51% of Gen Z and 46% of millennials surveyed agreed with this. The results also revealed that 53% of respondents have items they’ll never pay full price for only purchasing them if there’s a deal.

About three-quarters (77%) of those surveyed self-identified as “savvy shoppers.”

Furthermore, a third of Americans believe finding deals is their “shopping superpower,” with 34% selecting this as their “superpower” and beating out other options like getting free shipping (18%) or spotting quality items (12%) online.

When they save money, shoppers surveyed are most likely to use those savings to treat themselves (26%).

They also might use their savings to pay off a bill (26%) or spend it on other essentials (26%). Additionally, shoppers surveyed said they would put the extra money in their savings account (25%) or use it to shop more (20%).

As seasonal shopping approaches, the survey looked at the extra mile some respondents would go, to get a good deal. Nationwide, one in 10 would be willing to wait in line for hours, while 15% of shoppers would set an alarm to remind themselves.

More commonly, shoppers would download a specific app or browser extension (32%), make a “game plan” (26%), or browse from multiple devices (26%).

Take a look at what else the survey found regarding people’s shopping habits here.

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She’s made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.

She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.

A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.

She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.