US Pickup Economy Heats Up as Consumers Ditch At-Home Delivery

Fast, effortless, convenient shopping. The less thinking, the better. That is what our research shows U.S. shoppers really want. U.S. consumers have gotten used to being able to order anything online to be delivered or picked up if they choose. Even when they shop in stores, consumers want to find what they want fast — and preferably, want to know if the item is in stock before they even bother making the trip in the first place.

For all these reasons and more, shopping features that save time and reduce effort, such as real-time inventory updates, in-store navigation apps and curbside pickup options, have become do-or-die in U.S. retail.

“The 2023 Global Digital Shopping Index: U.S. Edition,” a collaboration with Cybersource, reveals the latest on what U.S. merchants get right about what local shoppers want — and where they are still struggling to deliver the shopping experiences customers demand. This report draws on six census-balanced surveys of a total of 13,349 consumers and 3,124 merchants across six key countries — Brazil, India, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States — between Sept. 23 and Nov. 20, 2022, to explore how the U.S. stacks up in online shopping.

This playbook focuses on actionable insights that detail how U.S. merchants can improve their customer experiences and drive conversion. Some of the key insights from our research include the following:

• The digital-first shopper is now retail’s mainstream.

More than 80% of consumers use digital features as part of their shopping experiences, even when shopping in a physical store. This report explores the differences between digital enthusiasts and digital mainstream shoppers, two groups that are younger and more affluent than most, and how merchants can cater to them.

• Offering consumers their preferred way to pay is twice as important as any other digital feature merchants offer — and significantly helps merchants convert sales.

Twelve percent of consumers cited payment choice as their most important feature in 2022. This choice is important not only online but in brick-and-mortar stores, too. This playbook outlines which payment methods are growing in popularity online and in-store.

• Consumers are trading delivery for curbside pickup, giving merchants an opportunity to reduce costs and improve customer loyalty.

In total, 32% of online shoppers — approximately 16.4 million consumers — picked up their most recent purchases via curbside or in-store pickup in 2022 — a 37% increase from 2021. Curbside pickup use grew six times as much as in-store pickup in that time.

These are only a few of the key insights detailed in this playbook. To learn more about how U.S. consumers’ shopping and payment preferences are shifting, download the playbook.