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US Online Shopping Behaviors: Clothing and Footwear 2025

US Online Shopping Behaviors: Clothing and Footwear 2025

"In today's multichannel landscape, the online path to purchase is far from linear. Although shoppers still favor tactile, in-store experiences for apparel, AI is set to break down barriers to buying online. Meanwhile, social media offers powerful opportunities for brand discovery and engagement, reshaping how consumers connect with brands."

Brittany Steiger, Principal Analyst - Retail & eCommerce

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook for clothing/footwear ecommerce
- Opportunities
- Key opportunities
THE MARKET
- Consumers and the economic outlook
- Graph 1: consumer sentiment index, 2022-25
- Market drivers
- Mobile commerce continues to be a growth engine
- Graph 2: devices used for online shopping, by generation, 2025
- Online apparel returns are a challenge
- AI capabilities are rapidly advancing
THE CONSUMER
- Online shopping habits
- Multichannel is the official standard
- Graph 3: typical shopping methods, clothing vs footwear – NET, 2025
- Graph 4: typical shopping methods, clothing vs footwear, 2025
- Consumers of all ages shop online, but online dominant shoppers skew older
- Graph 5: typical shopping methods for clothing and/or footwear (NET), by generation, 2025
- Transforming ecommerce into a tactile experience
- Graph 6: preference for touching/trying on clothing in-person before buying, by generation, 2025
- Path to online purchase
- The path to purchase is non-linear and multi-channel
- Graph 7: online and in-store browsing behaviors – “At least sometimes”, by generation
- Amazon continues to dominate ecommerce
- Graph 8: path to purchase, by generation, 2025
- When it comes to online retailers, it’s Amazon and everyone else
- Graph 9: retailers shopped online for clothing and/or footwear, 2025
- Saks partners with Amazon to launch Luxury Storefront
- AI-powered search will be a disruptor
- Graph 10: usage of AI platforms to search for apparel products – NET “at least sometimes,” by gender and age, 2025
APPROACH TO SHOPPING ONLINE
- Consumers engage in a variety of online shopping behaviors
- Graph 11: online shopping behaviors – clothing/footwear, 2025
- Consumers engage in a variety of online shopping behaviors
- Graph 12: online shopping behaviors – clothing and/or footwear, NET “at least sometimes,” 2025
- The power of product reviews
- Product reviews are an essential part of the shopping journey
- Graph 13: consumers who read product reviews when shopping for clothing and footwear, by generation, 2025
- Visual context matters in apparel reviews
- Gen Z and Millennials increasingly expect video content
- Graph 14: attitudes toward online shopping experience, by generation, 2025
- Consider the user experience of product review pages
- Value-conscious shopping behaviors
- A strong value proposition will drive shoppers online
- Convenience is the primary driver
- Graph 15: reasons for buying clothing and/or footwear online – convenience, by generation, 2025
- Consumers comparison shop online
- Shoppers uncover better deals online
- Digital natives embrace browser extensions to layer on savings
- Graph 16: consumers who search for special offers using a browser extension – NET, “at least sometimes,” by generation, 2025
- Sizing up fitting challenges in ecommerce
- Uncertainty about fit/size is the top barrier to buying apparel online
- Graph 17: barriers to buying clothing and/or footwear online – fit/size, by gender and age
- Younger shoppers utilize online fitting tools
- Graph 18: online shopping behaviors – use online tools to assess size/fit, NET “at least sometimes,” by generation, 2025
- AI-powered tools offer new solutions to finesse the fit
- Consumers want to see models that look like them
- Graph 19: attitudes toward buying clothing/footwear online – model preferences, by key demographics, 2025
- Addressing challenges: returns and cart abandonment
- Size and fit concerns fuel high return rates and bracket buying
- Graph 20: shopping behaviors – bracket buying, NET “at least sometimes,” by age and gender, 2025
- Consumers are reluctant to pay return fees
- Cart abandonment is a major issue in online apparel retailing
- Graph 21: cart abandonment behaviors, by generation and household income, 2025
- Role of social commerce
- Digital and social media has shifted the sphere of influence
- Graph 22: sources of shopping influence, by generation, 2025
- True social commerce is still finding its groove…
- …but social commerce is more than just buying directly on-platform
- Graph 23: social commerce behaviors, by generation, 2025
- CAKE shopping app redefines community with exclusive access
- Interest in AI and other shopping technology
- Consumers are still exploring shopping technology
- Graph 24: interest in online shopping technology/options, 2025
- Consumers are interested in exploring AI, but remain wary of the downsides
- Younger generations will fuel demand for AI shopping features
- Graph 25: interest in AI shopping tools, by generation, 2025
INNOVATION AND MARKETING
- Levi’s bets on AI with Microsoft partnership and new “Outfitting” tool
- Google Shopping refines the fit with improvements to virtual try-on
- Ralph Lauren debuts AI shopping app “Ask Ralph”
APPENDIX
- Report scope
- The consumer
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Convenience is the primary driver for most online shoppers
- Graph 26: reasons for buying clothing and/or footwear online, 2025
- Uncertainty about size/fit and product quality are primary barriers to buying apparel online
- Graph 27: barriers to buying clothing and/or footwear online, 2025
- Attitudes toward buying clothing and/or footwear online
- Graph 28: attitudes toward shopping for clothing and/or footwear online, 2025
- Generations
- Abbreviations

The landscape of online shopping for clothing and footwear is evolving, with a growing emphasis on multichannel engagement and the influence of digital technologies. While consumers enjoy the convenience of online shopping, physical stores remain popular for their tactile experiences, especially for trying on apparel, and only a minority of shoppers are online dominant.

Uncertainty about size, fit and product quality continue to be primary barriers to shopping the category online, contributing to high return rates and cart abandonment. Technology such as online fitting tools and customization options offer compelling solutions to help reduce these challenges, though many consumers are still facing a learning curve when it comes to adopting new technology.

A bifurcated online shopping experience has begun to emerge as older shoppers lean on convenient, easy and traditional paths to purchase, while digitally-native generations embrace new technology. Social commerce has gained traction, primarily as a source of inspiration and discovery more than as a direct sales channel. Looking ahead, AI innovations are poised to reshape online apparel retailing, offering personalized and efficient shopping experiences, although consumer adoption is still in its early stages.

This report looks at the following areas:

Shopping behaviors and attitudes toward buying clothing and/or footwear online
Motivations and barriers for buying apparel online
Path to online purchase in apparel categories
Assessing common challenges including fit, quality perceptions, returns and cart abandonment
Generational shifts in online shopping preferences
Influence of social commerce in consumer purchase decisions
Impact of AI innovation on the shopping experience

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US Online Shopping Behaviors: Clothing and Footwear 2025

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE MARKET

THE CONSUMER

APPROACH TO SHOPPING ONLINE

INNOVATION AND MARKETING

APPENDIX

This report looks at the following areas:

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