PORTLAND, Ore. – June 17, 2021 – Vesta, an end-to-end transaction guarantee platform for online purchases, today released survey results showing an impressive increase in consumer spending driven by a return to post-pandemic life in the U.S. Nearly half (49%) of respondents spent more than $250 on non-essential items last month and 63% intend to spend at least $100 on non-essential items this month.
Apparel is driving the most spending, with 69% of respondents having made an apparel purchase last month and 54% intending to purchase clothing next month. This was followed by restaurant dining, with 58% of respondents having dined out last month and 36% planning to do the same next month. Electronics rounded out the highest spending categories, with 53% of respondents having bought an electronic device last month and 41% planning to purchase one next month.
The survey also found that most consumers continue to prefer shopping online, with 64% of purchases made on desktop or mobile. 42% of respondents made their last non-essential purchase with a credit card, and 30% used a debit card. Only 10% of purchases were made with cash.
“The fact that consumer spending is on the rise is an undeniably good thing for the hundreds of thousands of merchants across the country who saw revenues decline during the pandemic, but fraudsters will absolutely take advantage of consumers’ preference for eCommerce and card-not-present (CNP) transactions,” said Ron Hynes, CEO of Vesta. “That’s why it’s so important that merchants put measures in place now to prevent CNP fraud while preserving the customer experience and maximizing approvals of legitimate transactions.”
When asked what their primary reason was for making a non-essential purchase, 40% of respondents said it’s because they are generally starting to socialize again, while 23% said it was because they have a specific event to attend. 15% cited going on vacation as their primary reason for making a purchase, 14% said their pre-pandemic clothing no longer fits, and 8% said it’s because they’re returning to the office.
About Vesta
Vesta is the only instant, end-to-end transaction guarantee platform for online purchases, delivering unparalleled approval rates, a better customer experience and eliminating fraud for leading brands in telco, eCommerce, travel, and financial services. Using machine learning backed by 25 years of transactional data history, Vesta increases approvals of legitimate sales for its customers, while eliminating chargebacks and other forms of digital fraud, driving the true cost of fraud to zero and transferring 100% of the liability for fraud, including chargeback processing, so customers can focus on increasing sales.
Media Contact:
Download Report