US e-Commerce Sales Jump 49 Percent In April, Led By Online Grocery

According to new data from Adobe's Digital Economy Index, U.S. e-commerce jumped 49% in April, compared to the baseline period in early March before shelter-in-place restrictions went into effect. Online grocery helped drive the increase in sales, with a 110% boost in daily sales between March and April. Meanwhile, electronic sales were up 58% and book sales have doubled. TechCrunch reports: The data comes from Adobe's index of the digital economy, which analyzes more than one trillion online transactions across 100 million different SKUs. The company works with 80 of the top 100 U.S. online retailers to gather its data. The numbers indicate that consumers are willing to spend on products that will help them manage the COVID-19 crisis. This includes, in large part, online grocery pickup and delivery.

Meanwhile, the electronics category of online sales saw its first inflation in years. According to Adobe, online electronics prices have been experiencing deflation at a steady rate since 2014, but COVID-19 has led to electronics prices flattening. Computer prices even crept up in April, due to rising demand. Plus, sales of audio mixers, microphones, microphone cables and other audio equipment jumped 459% in April as would-be podcasters and various creatives set up their home studios. The overall electronics category also appears to now be on an upward trajectory.

Re:

[Aighearach]

I don't know, things are great at my place and by the sounds of it the neighbors are also enjoying isolation.

I did spend half my stimulus check on e-commerce from Japan, though.

Over a trillion transactions?

[ShanghaiBill]

analyzes more than one trillion online transactions

A trillion transactions is about ten thousand transactions per American household.

I am skeptical that the number of transactions is anywhere near that high.

Perhaps a 'b' was typed as a 't'?

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps a 'b' was typed as a 't'?

What's a brillion?

Re:

[h33t l4x0r]

A million Brazilians.

Re:

[msauve]

"The data comes from Adobe..."

Since Postscript, Photoshop, and Acrobat, they've been all downhill. They've been relatively successful in spite of themselves. 'nuff said.

Things are not so rosey

[ddtmm]

The way this is written it sounds like we're in an economic boom. Not only is it just a redistribution of spending, but you can be damn sure overall spending is down. Way down.

This is just the beginning. Savings accounts are depleting. Just wait until more companies start collapsing and unemployment shoots up even more.

This is not good.

Capital idea!

[boudie2]

Let's all start podcasts about how bored we are? Already I've adapted to tv news reporters who wear masks and can almost understand what they're saying. Heard the other day that the U.S. Postal Service is about to go bankrupt. That might have some consequences (no more crazed postal worker jokes?).

Re:

[cordovaCon83]

The USPS goes broke occasionally. Then they go get some more money from Congress, and then Congress dictates policy to the USPS. It is a nebulous thought to consider whether the USPS is privatized or nationalized.