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

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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.