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March 30, 2026
Contributing Writer, Bizrate Insights
For a PDF downloadable version of this report: Download Now
In a world where online shopping is as easy as reaching for our phones, browsing has morphed into an “always-on” habit for many. With a few scrolls or taps, consumers can window-shop from anywhere, anytime. Yet, while endless browsing sessions might fill wishlists and shopping carts, they don’t always translate into purchases.
To help you decode these behaviors—and ultimately move shoppers from browsing to buying—we surveyed over 1,000 consumers to identify the online shopping habits, desires, and triggers that influence shoppers to come back and finally hit checkout.
Bizrate Insights surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,107 U.S. consumers aged 18+ to explore online shopping habits, device preferences, browsing vs. buying motivations, and factors influencing purchase decisions.
Shopping online has become a ritual of our everyday lives. Over half (52%) of consumers shop online daily or weekly, and 80% spend up to three hours in an average week browsing or shopping online.
Younger shoppers are leading this wave of online activity, with 61% of people aged 25 to 34 shopping at least weekly, compared to 39% of those over 64. 1 in 5 people 25-34 years old are spending 4-6 hours shopping online every week.
Younger consumers are highly engaged online shoppers. Target this group with exceptional mobile-optimized experiences and frequent promotions.
Browsing on our devices is at least a weekly activity for most, but both the online and in-store buying experiences are still important to consumers. In fact, 1 in 4 shoppers complete their overall shopping equally across online and in store.
Even if they intend to purchase online, most people are going in store to first validate their decisions, with 74% regularly visiting physical locations to see or try products before buying online.
This is especially the case with younger consumers. While they’re more likely to shop online than older generations (51% of 18 to 24-year-olds vs. 28% of ages over 64), they’re also more likely to check out products in person before checking out their carts online.
Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 89% regularly visit physical stores to validate products, compared to 54% of ages 65 and over. Keep in mind, however, that that’s still over half of older shoppers who are making the trek to see or try products in person.
Meanwhile, when shoppers are about to purchase in store, they’re still checking online for prices and availability. The large majority (82%) will browse online for this information before hitting the checkout counter. Almost all (94%) of ages 18 to 24 will do so, compared to 67% of ages 65 and over
A seamless omnichannel experience is crucial. Consider cross-channel strategies like “buy online, pick up in store” to capture these consumers who blend their online and in-store shopping.
The majority (63%) of consumers are browsing on their smartphones, with 57% using them to complete their purchases.
Both of these trends are driven heavily by younger consumers. Mobile browsing soars to 83% for shoppers aged 25 to 44, and 75% of those under 44 use their smartphones to shop, compared to just 25% of those 65 and older.
The fact is that device preferences vary sharply by age. Younger consumers favor smartphones, while those aged 55 and older prefer desktops. In fact, 74% of shoppers over 64 complete their shopping on desktop or laptop.
Optimize your device-specific customer experiences based on your audience.
If your target demographic skews younger, consider a mobile-first design approach. Prioritize the mobile experience and first optimize for smaller screens, touch-friendly navigation, and mobile connectivity. As most young consumers are interacting with your brand on their phones, designing mobile-first ensures these shoppers have the best possible experience with—and impression of—your business.
If your audience skews older, prioritize a streamlined desktop experience that’s easy to navigate and designed to convert. 3 in 4 shoppers under 44 years old use their smartphones to shop online Vs. 1 in 4 shoppers 65+ years old use their smartphones to shop online
Browsing is often casual, but it’s not necessarily passive.
Over half of consumers (52%) browse without intending to buy 50% or more of the time. Rather, as they’re browsing, they’re comparing prices (53%), waiting for a discount (43%), discovering new products (40%), evaluating their need for an item (38%), or saving items for the future (36%).
Older generations, in particular, are browsing with value and price in mind, with 63% of ages 55 to 64 comparing prices versus 43% of 18 to 24-year-olds, and 51% of ages 55 to 64 waiting for discounts versus 25% of those under 24.
For many, browsing is also an experience in itself: 26% browse to relax, and 18% enjoy the feeling of “shopping without spending.” This is especially true among younger generations.
Browsing is still part of the shopping journey. Seize opportunities to convert shoppers with personalized recommendations, product bundling, and retargeting ads.
Engage shoppers with content that builds brand connection. Since many consumers (especially younger ones) browse without an intent to buy, layer in content that’s engaging and non-transactional—such as lookbooks, style guides, or “trending products” sections—to deepen their bond with your brand, keep them coming back, and inspire future purchases.
Most people have their browsed items simmering on the back burner at any given time. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of shoppers have at least one shopping cart open in an average week, with 39% juggling 2 or 3 carts across different sites or apps.
Younger shoppers, especially, are keeping tabs across multiple sites. Over half (54%) of shoppers aged 25 to 34 keep 2 to 3 carts open, compared to only 21% of those over 64. This may correlate to young shoppers’ heavier mobile app usage. Conversely, nearly half (46%) of shoppers over 64 don’t save any carts for later.
Most people (68%) revisit their open shopping carts occasionally or frequently, but 20% claim they rarely—or never—do. So we dug into what would bring them back.
The top triggers that get people to revisit their shopping carts are shipping discounts (49%) and limited-time offers (47%), followed by loyalty points (32%), low-stock notifications (25%), and abandoned cart reminders (23%). Open-end responses from over 200 respondents further underscore price or deals as the primary drivers for impulse purchases.
Positive reviews are also especially impactful for young shoppers. About a third (32%) of 18 to 24-year-olds say these are a major motivator to check back on saved items, compared to only 8% of those over 64.
Get browsers to buy with promotions. Improve conversion rates with reminders about shipping incentives and targeted discount notifications. Include positive reviews and testimonials within your cart reminders to re-attract young shoppers as well.
The factors that have the biggest sway on shoppers, unsurprisingly, are double-edged. High shipping costs (45%), uncompetitive pricing (42%), and general price concerns (38%) are the top reasons shoppers abandon their carts.
About a third (32%) of shoppers are also waiting to see if they still want the item later, subduing impulse shopping.
Address cost and convenience to re-engage shoppers. If you can’t offer free shipping, be transparent and communicate why. Or, recommend an additional item at checkout—perhaps at a discounted rate—to help shoppers qualify for free shipping.
Browsing doesn’t typically result in an immediate buy, but it is a big part of the shopping journey. Re-engage consumers and get them closer to purchase with the following tactics:
Create engaging browsing experiences that still offer value to the majority of shoppers who don’t intend to buy at the moment. Style guides and trending product highlights can inspire future purchases.
Retarget shopping cart abandoners with frequent price and shipping incentives, exclusive discounts, limited-time offers, personalized notifications, and product recommendations.
Optimize device experiences for your target audience. Ensure mobile-first design for younger consumers, and a streamlined desktop experience for older shoppers. Enable crossdevice cart synchronization to support those who browse on one device and purchase on another.
Create a seamless omnichannel experience with convenient and flexible options like “buy online, pay in store.” Aid shoppers in their cross-channel research with detailed product descriptions, visuals, and customer reviews.
Lean into social proof and build urgency by highlighting reviews, user-generated content, and low-stock alerts to get browsers more purchase-ready.
For a PDF downloadable version of this report: Download Now
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