U.S. Consumers Made $1.7T in Pandemic eCommerce Purchases 

U.S. consumers spent $1.7 trillion online from March 2020 to February 2022, Adobe announced during the kickoff of the Adobe Summit on Tuesday (March 15).

That sum included $885 billion in 2021, up 8.9% year over year, and $32 billion that consumers had to pay more for to get the same things amidst recent inflation.

The two-year tally is almost $610 billion more than the eCommerce total from March 2018 through February 2020, according to the announcement, in which Adobe said it expects online spending in the U.S. to top $1 trillion for the first time in 2022.

Online inflation has increased for 21 consecutive months, with $22 billion in eCommerce growth in 2021 tied to higher prices. About $3.8 billion in eCommerce growth in 2022 is attributable to higher prices, but spending is up 13.8% year-over-year to $138 billion in the first two months of the year.

Consumers could pay as much as $27 billion more online for the same amount of goods because of ongoing inflation, according to the Adobe report.

In 2021, 41.8% of overall eCommerce spending across the U.S. came in groceries, electronics and apparel. Groceries represent 8.9% of the overall eCommerce spending at $79.2 billion in 2021, up from $73.7 billion in 2020, which was more than double the amount spent online on groceries in 2019. Adobe expects that number to top $85 billion this year.

Consumers spend an average of $6.7 billion a month for groceries, up from $3.1 billion before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. consumer spending on electronics online hit $165 billion in 2021, an 18.6% share of the overall total and up 8% from 2020 ($152.7 billion). It’s projected to top $174 billion this year.

Online apparel sales across the U.S. went from $115.8 billion in 2020 to $126.2 billion in 2021, an 8% year-over-year increase. Adobe expects the sector to top $130 billion this year.

“eCommerce is being reshaped by grocery shopping, a category with minimal discounting compared to legacy categories like electronics and apparel,” said Patrick Brown, vice president of growth marketing and insights, Adobe, in the company press release. “It highlights a shift in the digital economy, where speed and convenience are becoming just as important as cost savings.”

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