Online Shopping Habits: Men vs Women Infographic

Online shopping isn't just growing – it's completely changed. The way people buy online these days is worlds apart from where it was five years ago – and if your brand isn't adapting to these shifts, you're falling behind.

Whether you're running a DTC brand, selling on Shopify, or managing a big ecommerce site, knowing online shopping habits is the secret to staying ahead of the game.

This guide breaks down what's really going on with online behavior, what your customers are expecting from you, and some common patterns that are helping some brands get it right, and others … well, missing the boat.

The Mobile Revolution – And How It's Changing Everything

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) has turned everything on its head. Consumers aren't just using their phones to scroll through social media anymore – they're actually using them to make real purchase decisions on the go.

What's Driving This Mobile Shopping Boom?

• Convenience: Shoppers can browse while they're commuting, waiting in line, or just hanging out at home.
• Better apps from retailers that make it faster and cleaner to shop on the go.
• Mobile payment options like Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal that make checkout a breeze.

And let's be clear – mobile devices have become a huge part of our daily lives now. We're no longer “going online” – we're online all the time. This means more touchpoints, more micro-moments where purchases can happen. Push notifications, SMS marketing and app-based promotions are all just hitting shoppers right where their attention is.

Retailers who get their mobile experience right are seeing users engaging more – even if it doesn't always lead to an immediate conversion. But over time, all those visits build familiarity, and that familiarity builds trust. And trust can turn into revenue – especially if you're running remarketing campaigns that are aligned with mobile behavior.

The Gap Between Browsing and Buying – And Why Mobile Conversion Rates Are Lagging Behind

Even though a whopping 75% of ecommerce traffic comes from mobile, mobile conversion rates are way behind desktop conversion rates. So, why is that?

• Mobile checkouts are still clunky and slow for far too many retailers.
• Filling out forms on a small screen is a total pain.
• Trust signals (like SSL certificates and reviews) just aren't that visible on mobile.

Another thing that's often overlooked is how many mobile users are multitasking – shopping while watching TV or during a lunch break, for example. That means attention spans are super short. If your checkout is taking too long or breaks for some reason, they'll bounce – and they usually won't come back.

So what can ecommerce sites do about this? The answer is simple: they need to think like their customers. Can someone finish their purchase in 2 minutes or less? If the answer is no, it's probably costing you sales. Every extra field, every tiny delay – that's just friction, and friction kills conversions on mobile faster than on any other platform.

So, What Can You Do About It?

To close the gap, ecommerce sites should:

Highlight trust signals clearly – even on small screens.

Simplify the checkout process – fewer steps, better UX.

Use auto-fill fields and make guest checkout an option.

Mobile vs Desktop Conversion Rates (2024, Baymard Institute)

Device	Traffic Share	Conversion Rate
Mobile	75%	1.8%
Desktop	20%	3.5%
Tablet	5%	2.1%

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Cart Abandonment: Why Shoppers Walk Away

art abandonment is one of the biggest headaches for ecommerce sites. On average, 7 out of 10 shoppers who add items to their cart will just walk away without completing the purchase.

Main Reasons for Cart Abandonment

• According to Baymard Institute, the main reasons for cart abandonment are:
• Unexpected extra costs (shipping, taxes)
• Forcing shoppers to create an account
• Having a long or complicated checkout process
• Limited payment options
• Website errors or crashes

This means ecommerce sites are losing revenue at checkout more often than anywhere else. And that's a problem – because when someone clicks “Add to Cart”, something about the final steps just pushed them away. That's a big leak in the funnel, and the longer the process, the more likely they are to bounce.

It's not just tech – psychology plays a huge role too. When people see unexpected shipping fees or can't check out quickly, it creates doubt. Doubt slows decisions. And hesitant shoppers are far more likely to abandon their cart.

So, How Do You Reduce Abandonment?

• Be upfront about all fees – no surprises.
• Make it easy for shoppers to checkout as a guest – or offer Google or Facebook login.
• Display trust badges and secure payment logos clearly.
• Retarget with personalized emails or SMS for abandoned carts.

Abandoned cart sequences work best when they're hitting the right tone. Instead of begging people to come back, give them a reason. Maybe a free shipping code. Maybe social proof. Maybe a reminder of how many items are left in stock. Timing is everything – the best results usually come from sending the first message within an hour of abandonment.

And don't just rely on email – SMS has higher open rates and is faster to respond to. You can recoup thousands in lost revenue with just a few well-timed, relevant messages that feel helpful – not pushy.### Common Cart Abandonment StatsAlso, don’t rely on email alone. SMS has higher open rates and a faster response time. You can recover thousands in lost revenue with just a few well-timed, relevant messages that feel helpful — not pushy.

Common Cart Abandonment Stats

Reason	Abandonment Rate Impact
Extra fees at checkout	48%
Forced account creation	24%
Long or confusing checkout process	17%
Website errors	13%
Concerns about payment security	12%

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The Role of Reviews and Social Proof

When it comes to shopping online, customers don't just take what you say for granted. They want to know what others are saying first – whether that's through reviews, ratings, or recommendations from friends. In fact, online shoppers are pretty cautious about making a purchase without at least reading a few reviews first.

How Consumers Use Reviews

• A whopping 88% of shoppers trust online reviews as much as they would a recommendation from a friend (BrightLocal, 2024)
• Most consumers tend to read between 6-10 reviews before they make a purchase – so you'd better be making sure that your product and customer service are up to par
• It's a myth that negative reviews hurt – in reality, having a few (not too many ) negative reviews actually adds an air of authenticity to your brand

But for ecommerce stores, reviews aren't just about product quality – they're also about delivery times, how products are packaged, and how well your customer support team does its job.

One bad review about slow shipping could tank your sales. On the other hand, a glowing review about an unexpected freebie could win over a customer who was on the fence.

For ecommerce stores, it's essential to make it easy for customers to leave reviews – whether that's a quick email after their purchase or a simple SMS follow-up. And don't forget about those QR codes on your packaging – those can help customers leave reviews too. The more you make it a part of the customer journey, the better your social proof will be.

Where Reviews Matter Most

• Product Pages: For trust and credibility, it's all about showcasing reviews right on your product pages
• Homepage: A few quick customer testimonials can go a long way in building trust
• Google and Social Platforms: Many users are checking out reviews on social media before ever visiting your site

One advanced tactic is to use structured data so that your Google search results show review stars directly. That can boost your click-through rates and build your authority even more. And, display reviews from different types of customers – new buyers love hearing from people who are just like them

Types of Social Proof That Work

• Star ratings – a classic
• Verified customer testimonials – a must-have
• Photos and videos from your actual customers – they're way more convincing than staged marketing shots
• Influencer shoutouts – because who doesn't trust a popular brand ambassador?
• Trustpilot or G2 reviews – from independent sources, no less

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Social Media's Impact on Shopping Behaviour

It's no surprise that social media is a major driver of ecommerce – and it's especially true for younger generations.

The Platforms Most Likely to Influence Online Purchases

• TikTok: For Gen Z impulse buying – especially if they're a fan of a particular brand or product
• Instagram: Still the go-to for fashion and beauty product discovery
• Facebook: Trusty old Facebook is still where it's at for millennials and Gen X
• Pinterest: Where high-intent users go to plan out a big purchase

Shoppers aren't going to social media to buy – but it's a big part of how they get to the point where they do buy. And the key here is to create content that feels organic, rather than forced. Don't overdo it with the slick ads – leave some room for the real users to shine.

What Makes People Buy From Social Media?

• Short-form videos like TikToks and Reels – check
• “As seen on TikTok” branding – yes please
• Influencer UGC (user-generated content) – they put their money where their mouth is
• Seamless checkout integrations – one-click buying is a game-changer

Brands can also amp up their social media sales by running ads on posts that are already performing well. And, with in-app checkout options on Instagram and TikTok, buying is faster than ever.kout options, the buying journey is shorter than ever.

Quick Stat Snapshot

Platform	Users Influenced to Buy	Average Order Value
TikTok	41% of Gen Z	$56
Instagram	37% of Millennials	$72
Pinterest	28% of all users	$85

The Rise of Impulse Buying

mpulse buying used to happen at the checkout line – now it happens on our phones in less time than it takes to grab a coffee.

What Sets Off Impulse Buys?

• Scarcity and urgency – you know, limited stock, countdown timers, etc
• Flash sales and discount codes – because who doesn't love a bargain?
• Social proof like “five other people have bought this in the last hour”
• Buy now, pay later” options like Klarna or Afterpay

Social media has speeded up our buying decisions like crazy. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts give viewers product suggestions in quick, emotional formats – before they've even thought about making a purchase. And it's especially common among repeat customers – when trust is established, customers will buy without a second thought.

But don't get too carried away with the artificial scarcity and fake urgency – that can be a real turn-off. One well-placed limited-time offer or a personal upsell can kick your AOV into high gear. Brands that use urgency ethically build stronger customer loyalty in the long run.

Who Does It Best?

• Gen Z and Millennials are the most impulsive shoppers out there.
• A whopping 54% of Gen Z shoppers have bought something online without planning to in the past month alone.* Mobile users are nearly twice as likely to make a snap decision and buy on a whim compared to users on a desktop computer.

Shoppers also have a huge reaction to checkout experiences that are slick and hassle-free. Quickly loading product pages, express checkout buttons, and payment methods that can be used with your phone (like Apple Pay or Google Pay) can cut down the thinking time to just a few seconds. The fewer hoops someone has to jump through to buy, the more likely they are to make a spontaneous purchase.

If your store isn't set up to handle this behaviour, then you're not just missing out on a few sales – you're missing out on a big chunk of the ecommerce revenue. Speed, emotion and convenience now carry more weight than loads of product details in all sorts of product categories.

How to Encourage (Smart) Impulse Buys

• Bundling related products in a “Complete the Set” or “Buy the Look” kind of way
• Using pop-ups or messages to tell shoppers about products that are in stock right now
• Offering special deals that are only available for a limited time with a clear call-to-action to encourage people to buy right away

Impulse buying isn't about tricking people – it's about making it easy for people to buy when they're already in the mood to shop.

Payment Preferences Are Changing at a Rate of Knots

Traditional credit cards are no longer the default choice. Consumers are looking for flexible, fast and secure payment methods – or they're just not going to buy from you.

Top Payment Methods in 2025

• Debit/Credit Cards
• Apple Pay / Google Pay
• PayPal
• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services like Klarna, Affirm etc
• Cryptocurrency (although still a niche, it's starting to grow among some more tech-savvy shoppers)

A key trend is that shoppers are starting to expect a choice of payment options – not just the usual ones. Some consumers won't even complete a purchase if their preferred method isn't available. This is especially true for BNPL users. Many prefer it not because they can't afford the item, but because they want the flexibility to manage their cash flow however they want.

For ecommerce stores this means moving fast to adapt . You need to test what works best for your audience. Sometimes it's adding Apple Pay, other times it's adding Klarna or Venmo. It's not about making a guess – it's about removing any friction from the checkout process and matching the payment preferences of your customers.

Buy Now, Pay Later Growth

BNPL is one of the biggest shifts in how people shop online right now. Here's why:

• Appeals to younger audiences who avoid credit cards at all costs
• Increases the average order value (AOV)
• Reduces the number of hoops someone has to jump through at checkout

As more and more platforms start to offer BNPL, expect it to become the norm across higher ticket and mid-range ecommerce categories. Fashion, beauty and electronics are already getting heavily influenced.

Even lower ticket brands are seeing the benefits from it. As a result, offering BNPL could be the thing that tips the balance in your favour – or puts off a customer at the final stage.

Impact of BNPL on Ecommerce

Metric	BNPL Users vs Non-BNPL
Average Order Value	$112 vs $78
Conversion Rate Increase	+30%
Return Rate	No significant change

Ecommerce stores offering BNPL often see higher revenue per visitor — without needing to increase traffic.

Shipping Expectations and Delivery Preferences

Amazon has changed the game when it comes to shipping expectations. Now, everyone expects fast and free delivery.

What Online Shoppers Expect Now

• Free shipping (even if the product is under $20)
• Delivery within 2 business days or less
• Real-time delivery updates
• Hassle-free returns

The rise of Amazon Prime set new standards for delivery, and even smaller independent brands have to meet those expectations now. Consumers expect the same level of speed and transparency, regardless of who is shipping the product. If a product page says 7-10 business days with no tracking, many shoppers won't even add it to their cart.

Beyond just speed, shoppers want confidence in the process. Order tracking, proactive notification and clear communication about delivery delays all make a big difference in customer satisfaction and retention.

The Tradeoff Between Cost & Speed

According to a 2024 Shopify report:

• 66% of shoppers prefer free shipping over fast shipping
• Only 23% are willing to pay extra for 2-day shipping
• But 78% of shoppers say slow delivery makes them reconsider buying from you again

Shipping costs are also a deciding factor in cart abandonment. Shoppers want to know the total cost up front – not be surprised at the last stage. Offering free shipping above a certain threshold (e.g. “Free shipping on orders over $50”) is a great tactic to increase AOV without losing customers.

What You Can Do

• Offer free shipping above a threshold (e.g. “Free shipping on orders over $50”)
• Be clear about what your customers can expect (e.g. “Ships in 1-2 business days”)
• Give customers tracking updates via email and SMS

If your competitors are offering better shipping, then they'll be the ones who steal your customers – it's that simple.

The Role of Personalisation in Keeping Customers

Consumers want to feel like they're getting a personal experience. If your site shows the same thing to every visitor, then you're missing out on conversions and long-term loyalty.

What Personalisation Looks Like

• Product recommendations that are based on what customers have bought before
• A homepage that changes depending on the customer's location or other data
• Emails that are tailored to the individual with product selections that are relevant to them* Discounts based on what customers actually seem to be getting into

Artificial intelligence is supercharging the ability of retailers to get up close and personal with their customers. But it's not just about suggesting “similar products” no more.

Advanced tools are now analysing shopping behaviour, the amount of time customers are spending on the site, where they're coming from, and even what devices they're using.

And then they serve up smarter recommendations that actually match what the shopper is looking for – not just what they might be interested in.

Personalisation doesn't have to be all Big Brother-esque either. When done right, it feels helpful – like the store actually gets what the customer wants. That's why customer retention is so much better. Shoppers are more likely to come back when they feel like the store is on their wavelength.

Why this is all so important

• Personalised emails have 6x the transaction rate of regular ones (Experian, 2024)
• Returning customers are 9 times more likely to convert than brand new visitors
• 56% of shoppers say having a personal experience makes them more loyal

The key to all this personalisation, though, is first-party data. And that means collecting data in a way that feels helpful to the customer, not just relying on third-party cookies. Think quizzes, email opt-ins, and all that kind of thing. This lets you segment and market in a more targeted way, across email, SMS and retargeting ads.

Investing in personalisation now will pay off in the long run. As acquisition costs just keep on going up, brands that focus on keeping customers will be the ones that win. Personalisation turns one-offs into loyal customers, and loyal customers into repeat revenue.

What ecommerce might look like in 2026: AI, automation and smarter online shopping

The future of retail is already starting to take shape – and it's being built by AI. As we look ahead to 2026, the ecommerce landscape is going to be dominated by automation, super-personalised customer experiences, predictive tools and smarter logistics. Retailers that jump on the AI bandwagon now are setting themselves up to do really well later.

Artificial intelligence isn't just about chatbots anymore. It's being used to power everything from personal shopping feeds to supply chain forecasting.

In fact, according to a report by McKinsey, retailers who use AI across multiple touchpoints have already seen revenue boosts of 10% to 20%. And for the ones who haven't started yet? They're at risk of getting left behind fast.

How AI is going to change the way we shop online by 2026

• AI-driven personalisation: Product recs, dynamic pricing, and bespoke shopping journeys based on behaviour.
• Predictive inventory management: Real-time demand forecasting so you don't run out of stock.
• Voice search and AI assistants: Shopping via Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant is only going to get more popular – especially for repeat or low-consideration purchases.
• Visual search tools: Users will be able to shop by snapping a photo, not typing in keywords.
• Super-personalised emails and SMS: Tools like Klaviyo and PostPilot will send campaigns based on buying behaviour, site activity, and AI-generated segments.

Retailers who combine AI with first-party data will outperform the ones who are just relying on basic automation. The point isn't to make everything robotic – it's to make it feel more human, more fast and more relevant to the customer.

Retail Tech Stack Trends to Watch

Tech/Tool	Expected Growth by 2026	Impact Area
AI Personalization Engines (e.g., Rebuy)	35% YoY Adoption	Conversion, UX
AI Copywriting & Product Descriptions (e.g., Jasper)	27% YoY	Content, SEO
Predictive Analytics (e.g., Google Cloud AI)	32%	Inventory, Forecasting
AI Customer Service (e.g., Gorgias AI)	45%	Support, Retention
Visual Search (e.g., Pinterest Lens)	29%	Product Discovery

AI won’t replace human marketers — it will just replace the ones who don’t use it. That’s the reality heading into 2026. Tools that once required enterprise-level budgets are now accessible to small and mid-sized stores. That levels the playing field — and raises the bar.

Retailers should also prepare for AI-powered search engines like Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), which is already changing how people discover brands. Organic traffic may drop if brands don’t adapt to featured answers, conversational snippets, and zero-click searches.

What To Focus On Now To Be Ready for 2026

• Audit your tech stack and identify tools that support AI automation.
• Use AI to improve customer experience, not just reduce costs.
• Build strong first-party data through email and SMS.
• Stay ahead of SEO changes related to AI search models.
• Upskill your team — the tools are only as good as the people using them.

AI in ecommerce is no longer optional. By 2026, it will separate the winners from the forgotten. The brands that survive will be the ones that move fast, test smart, and stay human — even when the tech gets smarter.

Final Thoughts: How To Adapt to Shifting Online Shopping Habits

Online shopping is constantly changing. What worked last year might flop today.

To stay competitive, ecommerce brands should:

• Make mobile-first design actually usable
• Build trust through reviews, social proof, and security
• Simplify checkout with flexible payment options
• Lean into impulse buying triggers with smart UX
• Use personalization to keep people coming back

These aren’t optional anymore. They’re the cost of doing business in 2025.