When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo (2024)

As an ecommerce business owner, understanding consumers’ shopping habits can help to craft an effective sales and marketing strategy. Aside from knowing why people shop online and what they purchase when they do, it would also come in handy to know what the biggest online shopping days and times are. In other words—when do people shop online?

When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo (2)
When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo (3)
When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo (4)

When do people shop online the most?

According to a recent report, the biggest online shopping days of the week in the United States are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The report uses an index as a measurement and comparison tool, with an index of 100 being the average. It shows that Friday comes out on top as the most popular day to shop online, with an index of 118, followed by Thursday and Saturday, with 105 and 101, respectively. What this means is people purchase items online more than they usually do on these three biggest online shopping days, with a lot more doing so on Friday.

With regard to the least popular days to shop online, Tuesday and Monday take the crown, with indexes of 89 and 92, respectively. Wednesday and Sunday have indexes of 95 and 100, respectively.

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In other words, online businesses that want to spur sales may want to consider boosting their online presence (be it via social media marketing, paid ads, or other channels), on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Abandoned cart emails can also be scheduled to go out on these days to optimize conversions and remind customers they have pending items in their shopping carts.

Getting into specifics and knowing what time of the day online shopping peaks can help to further fine-tune your sales strategy. The same report shows that in the US, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. are consumers’ favorite times to shop.

If your target audience is located in another market, you’ll need to know when people there shop online and adjust your marketing plan accordingly.

For instance, in the United Kingdom, the biggest online shopping days are Wednesday and Sunday. Both days have an index of 103. Meanwhile, across the channel, French online shoppers are most active on Thursdays (109) and Wednesdays (108). Consumers in Germany, which features on the list ranking ecommerce market size by country, shop the most on Wednesdays and Sundays.

When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo (5)

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When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo (6)
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When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo (2024)

FAQs

When Do People Shop Online? [Jul 2023 Update] | Oberlo? ›

It shows that Friday comes out on top as the most popular day to shop online, with an index of 118, followed by Thursday and Saturday, with 105 and 101, respectively.

What time do people shop online the most? ›

So what is the best time of day to post on social media to encourage eCommerce sales? There are two peak hours for online shopping — the morning peak, 10 am to 11 am, and a second peak at 8 pm and 9 pm. These peaks follow consumer behavior patterns and will change with your audience.

How many people shopped online in 2023? ›

Online Shopping Statistics-Consumer
YearOnline Buyers In The United States
2025*284.60 million
2024*279.90 million
2023274.70 million
2022268.20 million
6 more rows
Feb 10, 2024

Are 20.8% of retail purchases expected to take place online in 2023? ›

Ecommerce businesses just capped off another banner year, with an estimated 20.8% of retail purchases taking place online in 2023. Looking forward, ecommerce sales growth worldwide is expected to increase by 9.4% to $6.33 trillion in 2024.

How ecommerce is changing in 2023? ›

In 2023, we have also seen changes in customer behavior, such as increased price sensitivity and the way people shop. According to the European E-commerce 2023 report, more than 99% of consumers have changed the way they shop online in the last 12 months.

What is the best day to sell online? ›

Monday is the day that online sales tend to be the highest. This is partly due to the Monday Rush and the fact that people are in a “buying mood” after the weekend. As a result, if you can successfully target consumers on Mondays, you are likely to see an increase in sales and revenue.

What is the biggest online shopping day? ›

Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of our everyday lives and much of the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday — a term coined back in 2005 by the National Retail Federation — continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it.

Are online sales down? ›

US ecommerce sales grow year over year in Q1

Year over year, though, Q1 sales growth was an inverted image of the quarter-over-quarter decline. Whereas ecommerce sales fell at a faster rate than total sales from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024, they grew at a faster rate than total sales in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023.

How much time do people spend online 2023? ›

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, internet users spent six hours and 35 minutes online daily. Compared to the preceding quarter, this is a decrease of almost one percent. Overall, between the third quarter of 2015 and the fourth quarter of 2023, the average daily internet use has increased by 16 minutes.

What is the online sales forecast for 2023? ›

KEY STAT: Worldwide ecommerce sales growth will accelerate this year and next, after an all-time low of 6.5% growth in 2022. Next year, sales will cross the $6 trillion mark, half of which will come from China.

What is the next big thing in ecommerce? ›

Eco-Friendly E-Commerce

The focus on sustainability and eco-friendliness has gained momentum in recent years. In 2024, this trend will likely intensify in the e-commerce industry. Customers expect e-commerce platforms to offer eco-friendly options, reduce packaging waste and embrace sustainable practices.

What is the quick commerce trend in 2023? ›

Quick commerce Market Size is predicted to witness a 12.9% CAGR during the forecast period for 2023-2031. Q-commerce, short for Quick Commerce, denotes a swiftly expanding phenomenon in the e-commerce sector distinguished by the prompt and effective transportation of products to customers.

Is Shopify still in trend? ›

Almost 20 years later, the platform is still finding the most efficient solutions to the problems of Shopify customers and business owners alike. Every year comes with new Shopify trends and practices that benefit the entire ecosystem.

What time of the day are people online the most? ›

Young people also reported spending the majority of their online time during the hours of 3.00pm to 6.00pm followed by 6.00pm to 11.00pm ( Figure 5). None of the young people surveyed in the study reported the periods of 9.00am to 12.00pm or 12.00pm to 3.00 pm as being the time they were online for the most time. ...

What is the best time for online sales? ›

While November and December, with events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, are peak months for online sales, the summer months and post-holiday season in January and February are typically the slowest. However, with the right strategies, retailers can turn these slow months into opportunities.

What time do most people go shopping? ›

Dairy goods (82%), fresh produce (80%), and snack foods (76%) are among the top grocery items people purchase. 74% of grocery shopping still happens in physical stores. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:59 p.m. is the most popular time to go grocery shopping.

What time of day are people most likely to buy? ›

Consumers are more likely to make purchases online on Mondays and Thursdays, with the peak purchase time every day lies between 8pm and 9pm, according to new data from SaleCycle's recently-published 2020 Ecommerce Stats Report. SaleCycle's 2020 Ecommerce Stats Report is now available.

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