Pandemic lifts average retail spending per shopping occasion

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the average amount U.S. consumers spend on each shopping occasion, whether it is a trip to a physical store or a visit to an online shopping site, reported The NPG Group.

Since reaching $34 in March of 2020, average shopping occasion spending has remained elevated at or above that amount through July 2021.

This increase is partially due to a general shift toward online purchasing, where average selling prices (ASPs) and the amount spent on each transaction already tended to be higher. However, the number of shopping occasions per week still falls short of 2019 levels, indicating that the sales lift is primarily caused by an increase in stock-up purchasing behavior, as consumers buy more on each occasion.

“Fewer shopping trips to limit in-person contact at retail stores, combined with supply-chain challenges making fewer products available, means consumers are more willing to spend more now to get the products the