Ecommerce rose 25% in the US – Adobe Analytics report

Average daily online sales for groceries, for example, doubled by the middle of March compared with the start of the month, the study shows. Using a longer view, grocery spending now represents 8% of overall ecommerce, up from 6% three years ago.

While online commerce was already making steady inroads in retail’s market share, the pandemic, which has shut down brick-and-mortar retail, has created a “forcing function” that’s pushing consumers online for all of their needs, said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights.

The buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) option saw a 62% surge in the February 24 to March 21 period compared with a year earlier. Orders for computers have surged as well, with the daily average increasing 40% from March 11 to 25 compared with the preceding 10-day period.

At-home fitness gear like dumbbells, stationary bikes and treadmills saw a 55% boost in sales in the March 11 to 15 period when compared with the first 10 days of the month.

The flipside to these increases is that apparel is struggling to gain traction, a worrying sign for retailers that have been forced to close their stores as growing numbers of nonessential businesses across the US pause their operations.

An average online apparel store has seen a 13% drop in sales in the March 12 to 25 period, compared with the preceding weeks, according to Adobe Analytics.