Harris Survey: As life returns to normal, 80% of American consumers still choose to shop online

This reflects the digital acceleration of e-commerce that has migrated and impacted all demographics , geographies, and industries .

That's according to a Harris Poll report titled "The Great Awakening: A Year in the Life of a Pandemic," which examines the changes that have most impacted American society and businesses over the past 12 months. While 47% of Americans say they dislike shopping in physical stores, 77% say they are comfortable shopping online .

The Harris Poll report comes as nearly half of Americans are confident that life in the U.S. will soon "return to normal" as vaccination rates rise and case counts fall .

The vaccine appears to have an immediate impact on future spending, with 53% of consumers and 61% of households with annual incomes over $100,000 saying the vaccine rollout has had at least some impact on their planned spending in the coming months. Thirty percent of these households said they plan to spend more than they did last spring, and 28% plan to spend more than they did this winter.

As vaccines become more widely available , Americans will push forward certain popular shopping behaviors. 64% of shoppers appear to prefer contactless purchasing methods and say they plan to continue using less cash . And 48% of consumers no longer want to touch cash.

To ensure consumer safety, 63% of businesses are using "vaccine passports" to support businesses .

The growing optimism also suggests that the U.S. economy may be better suited to a quick transition from crisis to recovery, thanks in part to digitally adaptable American consumers who have relied on e-commerce for essentials during the pandemic, as well as the rapid technological innovation of businesses to meet changing needs.

Looking across industries, healthcare was the best performer in digitally adapting its products and services, making it into the top three , followed by grocery and then food and beverage .

“The rapid pace of digital transformation is not going to reverse or slow down in the year since the crisis began,” said Mark Penn, chairman of The Harristag and president of Stagwell Group. “As Americans ’ online shopping habits deepen , digital technology will be passed down from generation to generation . This presents a tremendous opportunity for marketers as we find ourselves on the brink of a tremendous consumer renaissance. ”

Harris Survey

American Consumers

Online shopping