skip to Main Content

Login

Title image for a survey on Amazon obsession by U.S. state

Undeniably, the internet has revolutionized the way we shop. We no longer stand in agonizing lines under harsh fluorescent lights. We no longer fight for cart space or waste time in rush hour or get accosted by overzealous employees.

Instead, we buy almost anything we want online in our pajamas with just one click. Maybe two. And, as Covid kept us in our homes, ordering online became even more prevalent.

One influence of the online shopping revolution was Amazon—the once-humble bookstore turned e-commerce giant. The premise is quite simple, but nonetheless genius. Roll out of bed, find the item you want, and receive it at your doorstep two days later without so much as lifting a finger.

The staple ingredient to that winning formula is Amazon’s Prime membership, which allows for free two-day shipping among other benefits. Obviously, Amazon recoups the shipping costs it pays for its 200 million Prime subscribers one way or another, yet it’s still in Amazon’s interest to make transportation as efficient as possible.

At TransImpact, we pioneer end-to-end supply chain solutions that optimize operations, create efficiencies, and improve margin to transform the business performance of our clients. In the last two weeks, we’ve seen our predictions of FedEx increases come to fruition, and with the holiday season fast approaching, merchandise will be flying off of virtual shelves, into transport vehicles, and soon to your front door. So we got curious about the emotional side of Amazon customers’ impact on the shipping industry. To put it another way, how obsessed are Americans with shopping on Amazon?

Methodology

To answer this question, we conducted a nationwide survey asking at least 50 respondents in each state about their obsession with Amazon shopping. Respondents rated themselves on a scale of 1 to 5 on how obsessed they are with shopping on the platform, with 1 being the least obsessed and 5 being the most. We also asked respondents to answer questions about their Amazon shopping behavior, from how much they spend to how long they can go without opening their wallets.

We analyzed more than 1,000 responses to determine which states are the most and least obsessed with Amazon shopping. Read on to see what we found!

Each U.S. State’s Level of Obsession With Amazon

A map depicting the level of Amazon obsession in every U.S. state

It appears that there is a regional divide when it comes to each state’s level of Amazon obsession according to residents surveyed. The states that are the most obsessed are largely in the South and Northeast. North Carolina is the most glued to Amazon, with an obsession score of 69.89%. Runners up include Southern states, Texas and Virginia, which are 69.75% and 67.48% obsessed with Amazon, respectively. Perhaps the rural nature of Southern living and slower lifestyle make it more appealing to have Amazon handle the shipping rather than commuting for the purchase.

The states that demonstrate the most restraint from shopping on Amazon are largely in the American Northwest. We see the likes of Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and North Dakota as prominent members on this list. However, the state that demonstrates the most self-control is a geographical outlier—Arkansas is the least Amazon-obsessed state with a surprisingly low obsession score of 21.29%.

The U.S. States that can Abstain from Amazon the Longest

A map showing the states that can abstain from shopping on Amazon forever

It might come as no surprise then, that the states who can abstain from shopping on Amazon the longest match up quite well with the states who are the least obsessed. As our team reviewed the data for Amazon abstinence, we noticed a similar pattern—the West can generally ignore Amazon’s allure, while the South and East succumb to it more easily.

Compared to the 16.50% of Americans who can abstain from shopping on Amazon for the rest of their lives nationwide, just 5.88% of Iowans can do the same. North Carolinians (6.00%), Hawaiians (8.00%), and Tennesseeans (9.26%) also took a hard pass on parting from Amazon forever. Hawaii also made the list, which is understandable, as import taxes make buying most things on the islands an expensive endeavor.

When it comes to the states who can abstain the longest, Arkansans are the most determined. Nearly a quarter of Arkansan respondents (23.08%) staunchly claimed they would be able to give up Amazon for good. They weren’t the most resolute residents, however. Mainers have the least amount of Amazon FOMO as 29.41% of them could walk away from the online retailer without looking back.

Because 83.5% of Americans admit to surrendering to their Amazon obsession, we had to know more about their behaviors and preferences while indulging in one-click ordering and free two-day shipping.

Amazon Obsession Insights

Donut graphs that portray Amazon shopping insights and behaviors in the U.S.

When shoppers form an addiction to Amazon, it affects their lives in surprising ways. A small portion would go to surprising limits to satiate their desire to “add to cart.” For example, 10% of female shoppers said they are likely to hide packages from their partners. Men took things to yet another level—7.4% said they’d steal a package off of their neighbor’s doorstep to get their fix!

What creates such a strong addiction to the platform? Amazon Prime, largely. Shoppers can’t get enough of this service with 44.8% of respondents only buying Prime products while on the platform. More than 3 in 4 shoppers take full advantage of the service, using other offered perks like Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Kindle, and Prime Gaming. Another 43% of respondents vow that two-day Prime shipping is their leading reason for Amazon obsession. Almost all of our respondents—85.8%—believe Prime is worth the subscription cost of $119 per year.

But apparently, even two-day shipping is not fast enough. More than half of Americans (54.5%) admit to obsessing over shipping updates and even following the delivery driver’s pin around on a map. It’s true, 85.8% of Americans say Prime is worth the money, but 29.9% of Gen Z respondents say they want to stop ordering from Prime. We don’t expect that to happen any time soon.

With 32.2% of respondents doing more than half of their holiday shopping on Amazon, the upcoming spend-a-thon will present financial challenges for many American shoppers. So how much will they spend? Overall, 7.84% of Americans have spent more than $1,000 on a single order. But when enticed with ridiculously good deals on Prime Day, an increased 16.8% have spent more than $800. 27% of Millennials own an Amazon credit card, just 5.34% own over $1,000 of stock in the company.

The Ultimate Battle: Shopping vs Sex

A chart showing how many Americans would shop on Amazon versus have sex

Retail therapy is a stranger to no one and, as we’ve seen, it can be a powerful source of pleasure when combined with the convenience of the internet. But how does it stack up in comparison to another source of pleasure: Sex? We asked respondents if they would give up sex for a free year of Amazon Prime. Shockingly, 27.1% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said yes! Apparently for them, shopping from home with free two-day shipping is a thrill that can’t be beaten.

Final Thoughts

It has been a wild ride analyzing the online shopping tendencies of Americans who can’t get enough of Amazon. Between the unmatched convenience of online shopping and fewer customers shopping in person due to the pandemic, it will be more important than ever for retailers to manage their shipping costs this holiday season. At TransImpact, we can help you find, analyze, and use current shipping data to identify efficiencies and improve margin to transform your business performance. Find out more today.

Back To Top