What Are the Most Searched for Items Under Lockdown in the US?

Shopping habits shift for all number of reasons, gravitating towards new wants and needs depending on the situation. And with the US under varying levels of state lockdowns, what we’re searching for in terms of online shopping has changed, from California to North Carolina.

Salesforce B2C Commerce has done their homework and found key insights into the online shopping habits of Americans during Q1. Among these, they have highlighted the top five most searched terms. Let’s take a look at what Americans have been searching for.

Things that unite states

Across the country, shoppers have been wary of the present and hopeful of the future. We are able to see these emotions through looking at the specific words searched for. We have been seeking out the essentials by stocking up on the basics, as “socks,” “hoodie,” and “jeans” all cropped up as we look to warm up over winter. Yet our dreams of summer have not dimmed, as we search out “dresses” and “backpacks” for brighter days.

There is one term that the majority of metro areas have been searching for: Disney. It seems that with parents working from home — if they can — and kids having to home school, consumers are hoping that Mickey and Minnie are able to engage the children for long enough.

Things that distinguish states

With landscapes and environments varying from jam-packed downtowns to the leafy suburbs, there are, of course, differences between regions when it comes to the top searched for items. As a typical example, online shoppers in New York City seemed to be thirsting for the luxurious smelly stuff, with “Gucci” high up upon the list. 

Consumers in Boston appear to be hanging up more photos and canvases as they seek out “pins” — or maybe collecting button pins is a particular hobby in the Massachusetts capital.

Down in Houston consumers were eagerly planning for the holidays, who sought out “Easter” more than any other state. We hope their festive feasts and merriness were carried out as happily as possible!

Over in Illinois, online shoppers in Chicago have been upgrading the furniture, with “sofas” appearing in its top 5 searched for terms.

And what do you know! There’s little surprise that movies and franchises were top of the list in Los Angeles, where “Disney,” “Star Wars,” and “Harry Potter” were commonly searched for.

Social media movements

During Q1 of 2020 more of us have moved over to social media to carry out purchases, in addition to using it to connect with loved ones. Social media traffic has grown by 47% with increases in social media orders up 57%, too. Importantly, when you consider social media via mobile, those increases are magnified, with social media traffic increasing 56% from a year-on-year comparison, and a 68% increase in social media orders.

We have seen the continual blurring of lines between social media as a place for making connections and socializing, and social media as a place for purchasing goods and services.

The top urban area that recorded the highest traffic on social media in the US was Detroit. While Atlanta, Birmingham, Louisville, and Memphis all made up the top 5 cities for social traffic.

Then there were cities that recorded the highest number of online purchases made from social media. Dallas came out on top, with Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and San Antonio making up the top 5 cities for social orders.

Time is relative

And finally, consumers are changing the time of day in which they’re ordering goods online. In the pre-coronavirus days, they browsed and purchased during the peak time between 7pm and 9pm, after a long day’s work. With the absence of commutes to and from the office, as well as the almost complete merger between home and work, the peak time of online shopping has centered around noon, between 9am and 1pm.

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