The intersection of the December 2021 holiday shopping season with the omicron variant of COVID-19 made for a digital surge in retail purchases and healthcare services. Some 97 million consumers bought merchandise online, and 75 million accessed medical-related services digitally, according to PYMNTS latest Connected Economy report.
Some 2.1 million more customers turned to healthcare products and services in December compared to November 2021, PYMNTS research showed. Further, in-person physician visits dropped off by 2.8 million patients in December over November.
Same-day delivery service soared in December 2021, with millennials being six times more likely than baby boomers to use such a service before the shopping season ended. Some 59% of millennials and 6.1% of baby boomers surveyed in the report made same-day delivery purchases that month.
Download the report: The ConnectedEconomy Monthly Report January 2021: Consumers Rush Online To Shop And Stay Well
Millennials were also most likely to use just about every type of online healthcare service, with 46% of the demographic — 13 million — tapping medical products or services online in December 2021. Some 27% of Generation X turned to digital services for medical care and 13% of baby boomers.
Generation Z was the largest demographic to engage in digital mental health services in December. Among millennials, 38% used websites and apps to for mental health care, and 40% attended a telehealth appointment with a mental health professional during December.
People who considered themselves financial wellness or convenience seekers were 50% more likely than the average consumer to turn to digital means for healthcare.
Online retail purchases in December 2021 increased 2.6% over November, reaching 97 million shoppers. The largest surge came from people buying direct from brands and digital marketplaces, according to the report.
The least likely demographic to shop digitally were baby boomers and seniors, regardless of the channel. The biggest difference was seen in same-day delivery aggregators and apps like Shipt. Millennials were six times more likely than baby boomers and seniors to purchase from these services, making for the biggest engagement divide.
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