Online Shoppers’ Spending Limits: Highest in Germany and China

A cheap price is repeatedly mentioned as a decisive factor in people’s purchasing decisions. However, cheap is relative and, depending on the country, online shoppers are willing to spend quite high amounts in eCommerce. Read on to find out how much.

eCommerce Shopping Experiences: The Importance of Pricing

The digital landscape has undergone a rapid transformation, giving birth to an ever more diverse realm of eCommerce that seamlessly integrates into the lifestyles of digital consumers worldwide. From traditional first-party online stores and marketplaces to social media and livestream shopping to various multi-channel services, the possibilities to make digital or partly digital purchases seem limitless. The convenience of modern shopping realities has become an essential part of people’s routines, and consumers' expectations for user-friendly experiences have risen in tandem. Customers place high value on accurate and detailed product information, exceptional customer service, and, above all, competitive pricing – this is what Wunderman Thompson’s current edition of The Future Shopper Report reveals. Pricing plays a pivotal role in the online shopping sphere – but does that necessarily mean that online shopping has to be above all cheap?

US$378 Max.: Global Average Spending Limit per Item

Wunderman Thompson has also analyzed peoples’ price sensitivity when it comes to high-priced products. In fact, the average global online shopper is prepared to spend quite an impressive amount on a single item online: US$378 max. – and this includes countries from across the globe. Still, several countries deviate strongly from this average, in both directions.

Top Spenders Live in Germany and China

The top online spenders apparently live in Germany. With a maximum price of US$749 for a single item, online shoppers in Germany are willing to spend almost twice as much as the global average and more than seven times as much as online shoppers from South Africa. Given Germany’s high socio-economic standards in global comparison, its leading position in this price comparison might not come as a big surprise. Rank 2 is less obvious: China. Chinese online shoppers are willing to spend up to US$646 for a single item online.

United States in Midfield – Surprising Trend in Brazil and India

With US$381, online shoppers in the United States are willing to spend approximately as much as the global average on single items when they shop online. This is only about half as much as in top spending Germany. In countries like Brazil, Colombia or India, where socio-economic levels are low and people have significantly less money at hand, online shoppers are still prepared to pay comparably high prices for single items. An average price limit of US$305 per item can be considered high for a country like Brazil, where average disposable incomes are low.

Online Shoppers Embrace High-Priced Purchases

The data shows that price sensitivity does not necessarily mean that online shoppers are exclusively looking for low-priced products. The times when consumers distrusted online channels and were reluctant to buy expensive products online are disappearing. Thanks to an ever-better customer experience in eCommerce, people are willing to make higher-priced purchases online.

Online shoppers’ spending limits: Key Takeaways

Pricing plays a crucial role in eCommerce, but a cheap price is not the only factor influencing purchasing decisions. The global average spending limit per item online is US$378, indicating that consumers are willing to make high-priced purchases.

Geographic variations exist in online spending habits. For example, online shoppers in Germany are willing to spend up to US$749 on a single item, while those in China are willing to spend up to US$646. In contrast, U.S. shoppers align closely with the global average at US$381 per item.

Despite lower socio-economic levels in countries like Brazil, Colombia, and India, online shoppers there are still willing to spend comparably high amounts on single items, challenging the notion that online shopping is primarily for low-cost items.