After the pandemic, remote working and online shopping are surging in the United States. The trend is primarily driven by employees who work in a hybrid model, balancing remote work and commuting to the office.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 19th, a joint study by Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Mastercard’s Economic Research Institute found that online shopping has escalated since the pandemic.
Americans are estimated to have spent an additional $375 billion on online shopping last year compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Nicholas Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford University who participated in the study, analyzed that employees working in this so-called hybrid model, balancing remote work and commuting, are driving the increase in online shopping.
When examined by region, areas where remote work has become common have seen an increase in online shopping, while areas with a high degree of face-to-face work have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
A study by US software company Adobe analyzing online shopping by day of the week found that most online shopping occurs between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Fridays when the workweek is winding down.
Furthermore, a survey by Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten revealed that more than a quarter of working women shop online during work hours, particularly among Gen Z, whose rate is 41%. Jenny Hersh, a Minnesota resident who sells jewelry on Instagram, was surprised to find that 80% of her sales occur during work hours.
Liza Amlani, who provides sales consulting to brands like Under Armour, shared that major retailers are also noticing this trend. Some companies are adjusting their marketing email dispatch times to noon or 3 p.m. for product discounts.
The WSJ notes that shopping during work hours will not be an issue unless this activity doesn’t decrease productivity, explaining that even in face-to-face work settings, there are times for brief breaks with colleagues in the break room.
Durjoy (Ace) Bhattacharjya, CEO of a company that provides medical record support services, said, “Remote work doesn’t have coffee breaks or birthday celebrations. Instead, looking at limited edition sneakers or collectible figures on eBay is everything.”
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