With the majority of the country under stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19, online shopping has been a lifesaver for many looking to have items ranging from groceries to clothing delivered to their homes while bricks-and-mortar stores are closed.
Many eCommerce store owners are experiencing order volume normally seen in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In fact, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index, eCommerce saw a 49% increase in daily sales* with electronics sales seeing a 58% increase in April 2020.
Let’s take a look at how some segments fared in April:
- Grocery – 110% increase in daily online sales
- Alcohol – 74% increase
- Book Sales – daily sales volume doubled
The clothing industry has seen a decrease in pricing, but overall, apparel sales increased 34% with some notable mentions:
- Pajama sales increased 143%
- Pants dropped 13%
- Shorts went up 67%
- T-shirts increased 47%
According to the report, prior to COVID-19 the digital economy has been growing faster than the economy as a whole. Today, online shopping has become the primary means of commerce around the world as purchases previously made in person are shifted online.
As more and more states begin to open up and people begin to venture into retail environments once again, it’s yet to be seen if these eCommerce trends will be part of the “new normal,” or will return to post-COVID-19 levels.
For a more detailed look at the April 2020 Digital Economy Index, click here.
*Growth compared to baseline period of March 1 to March 11 to measurement period of April 1 to April 23
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.