When asked whether they preferred to do most of their shopping in-store or via digital channels, only the very oldest in the study—those 60 and older—said they preferred in-store shopping. And even amongst those older consumers, the preference for stores was a bare majority. (The question focused on non-grocery items.)
For all the other age groups, digital channels were preferred for shopping. Not surprisingly, the youngest group tilted the most toward digital. Fully 78% of younger shoppers (ages 18-29) said they preferred to do most of their shopping online rather than in-store.
And for those ages 21-29, mobile was the preferred shopping channel.
The preference for mobile shopping is not a surprise, given the growing amount of time that Americans spend on mobile devices. eMarketer estimates that the average US adult spends more than 3 hours per day on mobile.
But purchasing via mobile is still less common. eMarketer estimates that mobile commerce sales will make up just 3.1% of total retail sales this year.