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Introduction

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.

Methodology

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.

Pictogram representing 583 female respondents and 521 male respondents out of 1,107 total, with females slightly outnumbering males.
Donut chart showing age distribution by group: 65+ is the largest group at 22%, followed by 25–34 and 55–64 at 18% each, 35–44 and 45–54 at 16% each, and 18–24 as the smallest group at 10%.

Shopping Habits Across Screens and Store

Online Shopping Is Part of the Routine

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.

Stacked bar chart showing online shopping frequency by age group. Weekly shopping is the most common frequency for ages 18–24 through 55–64, at 31% for 18–24, 42% for 25–34, 46% for 35–44, 43% for 45–54, and 37% for 55–64. Among adults 65+, monthly shopping is highest at 38%. Daily shopping declines with age, from 23% of 18–24-year-olds to 8% of adults 65+. Less than once a month ranges from 8% for ages 35–44 to 23% for ages 55–64, and unlabeled “I do not shop online” shares are 4% or less.
Horizontal bar chart showing that 45% of respondents spend 1 to 3 hours shopping online in an average week, 35% spend less than 1 hour, 14% spend 4 to 6 hours, and 6% spend over 7 hours. A callout notes that 1 in 5 people ages 25–34 spend 4 to 6 hours shopping online each week.
QUICK TAKEAWAY

Younger consumers are highly engaged online shoppers. Target this group with exceptional mobile-optimized experiences and frequent promotions.

Consumers Are Both Swiping and Strolling

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.

Donut chart showing that 39% of respondents complete most of their overall shopping online, 36% shop mostly in-store, and 25% split their shopping about the same between online and in-store.

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.

Bar chart showing the share of shoppers who complete a majority of purchases somewhat or mostly online declines with age, from 51% of 18–24-year-olds to 28% of adults 65+, a 23 percentage-point difference. Values are 51% for ages 18–24, 48% for 25–34, 45% for 35–44, 39% for 45–54, 33% for 55–64, and 28% for 65+.
Bar chart showing the share of shoppers who always, often, or sometimes validate products in store before purchasing online declines with age, from 89% of 18–24-year-olds to 54% of adults 65+, a 35 percentage-point difference. Values are 89% for ages 18–24, 86% for 25–34, 82% for 35–44, 77% for 45–54, 64% for 55–64, and 54% for 65+.

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

QUICK TAKEAWAY

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.

Different Generations, Different Devices

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.

Horizontal bar chart showing that smartphones are the most commonly used device to browse online at 63%, followed by laptop or desktop computers at 50%, tablets at 18%, and smart speakers at 4%.
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
QUICK TAKEAWAY

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 Demystified

Browsing With Purpose

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.

Horizontal bar chart showing the top reasons shoppers browse online stores without intending to buy. Comparing prices or products is the most common reason at 53%, followed by waiting for a discount or sale at 43%, exploring new products at 40%, deciding if they need the item at 38%, saving items for future consideration at 36%, passing the time or relaxing at 26%, enjoying “shopping” without spending money at 18%, and not browsing online unless they intend to buy at 3%.
Segmented bar chart showing primary reasons for browsing online stores without intending to buy by age. Comparing prices or products is the top reason for most age groups, rising from 43% of 18–24-year-olds to 63% of 55–64-year-olds and 58% of adults 65+. Values by age are: 18–24, 43% comparing prices or products, 31% waiting for a discount or sale, 40% exploring new products, 31% deciding if they need the item, 25% saving items for future consideration, 27% passing the time or relaxing, and 24% shopping without spending money; 25–34, 49%, 40%, 44%, 39%, 36%, 28%, and 24%; 35–44, 45%, 40%, 45%, 39%, 32%, 26%, and 25%; 45–54, 57%, 49%, 37%, 40%, 36%, 29%, and 16%; 55–64, 63%, 51%, 38%, 40%, 43%, 30%, and 14%; and 65+, 58%, 43%, 34%, 35%, 40%, 18%, and 10%. Unlabeled percentages, including “I don’t browse unless I intend to buy,” are less than 6%.
QUICK TAKEAWAY

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.

Shopping Carts on Hold

Shoppers Are Saving Items for Later

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.

Three donut charts showing online cart behavior: 40% of consumers have 2 or 3 shopping carts open at a time, 68% revisit shopping carts they have saved for later, and 20% rarely or never revisit their shopping carts.
Stacked bar chart showing the number of open shopping carts by age group. Having 2–3 open carts is most common among shoppers ages 18–54, peaking at 54% for ages 25–34, while having no open carts increases with age from 12% of 18–24-year-olds to 46% of adults 65+. Visible values are: ages 18–24, 12% none, 31% 1 cart, 44% 2–3 carts, and 9% 4–5 carts; ages 25–34, 13% none, 24% 1 cart, 54% 2–3 carts, and 7% 4–5 carts; ages 35–44, 18% none, 24% 1 cart, 46% 2–3 carts, 6% 4–5 carts, and 7% more than 5 carts; ages 45–54, 27% none, 18% 1 cart, 47% 2–3 carts, and 6% 4–5 carts; ages 55–64, 39% none, 24% 1 cart, 30% 2–3 carts, and 6% 4–5 carts; and ages 65+, 46% none, 31% 1 cart, and 21% 2–3 carts. Unlabeled percentages are 4% or less.

Shipping and Deals Bring Shoppers 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.

Horizontal bar chart showing the top motivators for shoppers to revisit a saved shopping cart. Free shipping or reduced shipping costs is the leading motivator at 49%, followed by a limited-time discount on items in the cart at 47%, loyalty rewards or points for purchases at 32%, a low stock or “only a few left” alert at 25%, a reminder email about the abandoned cart at 23%, and positive customer reviews or recommendations at 19%.
Segmented bar chart showing motivators to revisit a saved shopping cart by age. Free or reduced shipping and limited-time discounts are the strongest motivators across most age groups, while positive reviews decline with age from 32% of 18–24-year-olds to 8% of adults 65+. Values by age are: 18–24, 32% positive reviews, 19% reminder email, 30% low-stock alert, 23% loyalty rewards, 34% limited-time discount, and 42% free or reduced shipping; 25–34, 26%, 22%, 29%, 37%, 43%, and 45%; 35–44, 20%, 13%, 25%, 31%, 47%, and 47%; 45–54, 20%, 22%, 25%, 35%, 51%, and 57%; 55–64, 16%, 24%, 24%, 29%, 55%, and 50%; and 65+, 8%, 33%, 21%, 32%, 46%, and 50%.
QUICK TAKEAWAY

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.

Similar Factors Lead to Abandoned Carts

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.

Horizontal bar chart showing the top reasons shoppers abandon a planned purchase. High shipping costs is the leading reason at 45%, followed by finding a better price elsewhere at 42%, price concerns or budgeting constraints at 38%, waiting to see if they still want the item later at 32%, and product availability or out-of-stock items at 30%.
QUICK TAKEAWAY

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.

Conclusion: Move Shoppers From Browsing to Buying

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