More paint jobs, fewer pantsuits. More meal kits, fewer manicures.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives and altered our spending patterns. Americans are staying home more, traveling less and occupying themselves in different ways. The Wall Street Journal analyzed credit-card data from Earnest Research to understand and document the shifts in food, clothing and entertainment purchases over the past year.
Change in spending from a year earlier
The change for the week ended Dec. 2:
Grocers 1%
Restaurants -1%
Apparel and
accessories -21%
Department
stores -30%
Travel and
transportation -54%
Events and
Attractions -72%
Change in spending from a year earlier
The change for the week ended Dec. 2:
Grocers 1%
Restaurants -1%
Apparel and
accessories -21%
Department
stores -30%
Travel and
transportation -54%
Events and
attractions -72%
Change in spending from a year earlier
The change for the week ended Dec. 2:
Grocers 1%
Restaurants -1%
Apparel and
Accessories -21%
Department
stores -30%
Travel and
Transportation -54%
Events and
Attractions -72%
Change in spending from a year earlier
The change for the week ended Dec. 2:
Grocers 1%
Restaurants -1%
Apparel and
accessories -21%
Department
stores -30%
Travel and
transportation -54%
Events and
attractions -72%
Food
Food-delivery spending has more than doubled compared with a year earlier, and all major delivery companies saw revenue swell. Meanwhile, fine-dining restaurants—especially local eateries—continue to struggle, despite some places building elaborate outdoor dining setups to lure customers, including single-table igloos.
aggregators
Quick
service -3.6%
Fast casual -6.3%
Casual
dining -36.6%
Fine dining
aggregators
Quick
service -3.6%
Fast casual -6.3%
Casual
dining -36.6%
Fine dining
aggregators
Quick
service -3.6%
Fast casual -6.3%
Casual
dining -36.6%
Fine dining
aggregators
Quick
service -3.6%
Fast casual -6.3%
Casual
dining -36.6%
Fine dining
When the pandemic set in, Americans stocked up on supplies, prompting a surge in spending at supermarkets and with online grocers. By late spring, interest also grew in meal-kit delivery kits.
Online grocers
73.4%
Meal kits 55.2%
Discount grocers
0.5%
Supermarkets
-6.9%
Specialty
grocers -15.5%
Online grocers
73.4%
Meal kits 55.2%
Discount grocers
0.5%
Supermarkets
-6.9%
Specialty
grocers -15.5%
Online grocers
73.4%
Meal kits 55.2%
Discount grocers
0.5%
Supermarkets
-6.9%
Specialty
grocers -15.5%
Online grocers
73.4%
Meal kits 55.2%
Discount grocers
0.5%
Supermarkets
-6.9%
Specialty
grocers -15.5%
Clothing and Self Care
After an initial plunge in clothes, consumers invested more in athletic and athleisure apparel. And with a significant percentage of office workers still working from home, spending on professional attire and footwear has remained low.
Active and
athleisure 8.7%
Jewelry and
watches 3.4%
Footwear -22.6%
Professional and
dress attire -46.8%
Active and
athleisure 8.7%
Jewelry and
watches 3.4%
Footwear -22.6%
Professional and
dress attire -46.8%
Active and
athleisure 8.7%
Jewelry and
watches 3.4%
Footwear -22.6%
Professional and
dress attire -46.8%
Active and
athleisure 8.7%
Jewelry and
watches 3.4%
Footwear -22.6%
Professional and
dress attire -46.8%
In the health-and-beauty sector, spending plummeted at salons and spas this spring, as lockdowns targeted personal-care services.
Makeup and
skin products 2.6%
Oral care -16.9%
Salons and
spas -38.7%
Makeup and
skin products 2.6%
Oral care -16.9%
Salons and
spas -38.7%
Makeup and
skin products 2.6%
Oral care -16.9%
Salons and
spas -38.7%
Makeup and
skin products 2.6%
Oral care -16.9%
Salons and
spas -38.7%
Home and Home Entertainment
Americans, stuck at home, started painting, fixing and decorating. This trend led to higher sales of products for the home and garden.
Garden and outdoor 15.4%
Home improvement 14.4%
Home furnishings 11.7%
Garden and outdoor 15.4%
Home improvement 14.4%
Home furnishings 11.7%
Garden and
outdoor 15.4%
Home
improvement 14.4%
Home
furnishings 11.7%
Garden and
outdoor 15.4%
Home
improvement 14.4%
Home
furnishings 11.7%
With theaters, concerts and other entertainment venues closed, Americans turned to home entertainment like videogames and video streaming. Purchases at bookstores, though, haven’t kept up.
E-Books 9.3%
Music streaming and audio 7.8%
Gaming 3.6%
Book retailers -13.7%
E-Books 9.3%
Music streaming and audio 7.8%
Gaming 3.6%
Book retailers -13.7%
E-Books 9.3%
Music streaming and audio 7.8%
Gaming 3.6%
Book retailers -13.7%
E-Books 9.3%
Music streaming
and audio 7.8%
Gaming 3.6%
Book retailers -13.7%
Shopping
Department stores have struggled amid the pandemic. Retailers had to deal with lockdowns in the spring and rising numbers of Covid-19 cases nationwide during holiday-shopping season.
Off-price -19.3%
High-end -27.4%
Mid-tier -35.9%
Off-price -19.3%
High-end -27.4%
Mid-tier -35.9%
Off-price -19.3%
High-end -27.4%
Mid-tier -35.9%
Off-price -19.3%
High-end -27.4%
Mid-tier -35.9%
Overall, general merchandisers fared better, and spending shifted to online retailers. But sales at convenience stores fell by more than half compared with last year.
Online marketplaces 14.2%
Discount and
Dollar stores 0.7%
Office supplies -3.5%
Big box retailers -16.7%
Convenience stores -58.4%
Online marketplaces 14.2%
Discount and
Dollar stores 0.7%
Office supplies -3.5%
Big box retailers -16.7%
Convenience stores -58.4%
Online
marketplaces 14.2%
Discount and
Dollar stores 0.7%
Office supplies -3.5%
Big box
retailers -16.7%
Convenience
stores -58.4%
Online
marketplaces 14.2%
Discount and
Dollar stores 0.7%
Office supplies -3.5%
Big box
retailers -16.7%
Convenience
stores -58.4%
—John Gould and Luis Santiago contributed to this article.
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