National Survey indicates millions of Americans have increased their spending during pandemic

April 29, 2020

About 58 million Americans are spending more money while social distancing, according to WalletHub’s Coronavirus Shopping Survey, released today.

This nationally representative survey asked a range of questions, from whether Americans’ spending has increased to what types of non-essential items they are purchasing most and whether they have concerns about deliveries of packages and food.

Below are additional highlights of the survey, along with a WalletHub Q&A.

Key Stats

• Some Americans are shopping more during the pandemic: 58 million Americans are spending more money while social distancing.

• Many people use shopping to ease stress: 43 percent of Americans have participated in “comfort buying” due to social isolation.

• Deliveries cause anxiety: 57 percent of Americans are concerned about package safety while comfort buying.

• People worry about food contamination: 60 percent of Americans are concerned about the safety of having food delivered during the pandemic.

• People use entertainment and drinking to take the edge off: Americans are spending the most “non-essential” money on entertainment (29 percent) and alcohol (23 percent) right now.