Blog: You, us, everyone

Introduction

Over the past few years, households in Europe and the United States have been experiencing a profound, yet often understated, shift in their consumption patterns. While the pandemic initially triggered abrupt changes in daily life, it is today’s persistent economic tensions, inflation, rising living costs, energy prices, and uncertainty that are quietly reshaping how people consume, prioritize, and assign value.

What we are witnessing is not a temporary adjustment but a structural transformation. A “silent mutation” driven by tighter budgets, greater demand for meaning and utility, and a reconfiguration of lifestyles, particularly among millennials (Gen Y) and Gen Z. Drawing on recent data from Europe and the United States, this article explores the emergence of new consumer behaviors: steady growth in e-commerce, the rise of recommerce and second-hand markets, shifting expectations toward durability and transparency, and the growing centrality of the home as a space for comfort, productivity, and well-being.

The enduring rise of e-commerce — recent figures in Europe and the U.S. 

Europe: Confirmed Growth in 2024

• According to the European E-Commerce Report 2025, B2C e-commerce revenue in Europe increased by 7% in 2024, rising from €765 billion to €819 billion.
• 73% of Europeans aged 16–74 made at least one online purchase in 2024, up from roughly 71% the previous year.
• Internet penetration reached 93% across the continent, providing a strong foundation for sustained digital commerce expansion.

E-commerce was already gaining ground before the pandemic. But today’s economic pressures and new consumption priorities have made it a firmly established, mainstream channel.

United States: An Expanding Online Retail Market

• U.S. retail e-commerce revenue for 2024 is estimated at $1.192 trillion, an 8.1% increase over 2023.
• E-commerce now represents about 16.1% of total retail sales in 2024, up from 15.3% in 2023.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Q2 2025 online sales grew by 5.3% year-on-year, reaching approximately 16.3% of quarterly retail sales.

The United States, already a pioneer in digital retail, continues to rely heavily on online shopping, now reinforced by households’ search for value, flexibility, and convenience.

Recommerce and responsible consumption — A strong structural shift

Beyond the purchase of new goods online, a strong and still accelerating trend is shaping the market: recommerce, meaning resale, second-hand, and refurbished products. This shift is fueled not only by sustainability concerns but also by economic necessity.

Why This Trend Is Expanding

• Persistent inflation and uncertainty have pushed consumers toward more deliberate, cost-effective purchases.
• Environmental awareness and concerns about product provenance are rising.
• E-commerce platforms have made second-hand shopping easier, safer, and more mainstream, thanks to logistics, trust mechanisms, warranties, and transparent digital marketplaces.

Limited Public Data, but Clear Trends

Aggregated statistics remain incomplete, especially on the size of second-hand markets, but the direction is unmistakable: the economic and social context strongly supports the continued expansion of recommerce.

Notably, recent academic studies show sustained increases, since 2018, in online shopping frequency, product diversity, and repeat behaviors, with an accelerated shift during 2020 and a durable stabilization since.

👉 In short: recommerce is no longer niche. It has become an economic and cultural norm.

Changing consumer priorities — comfort, utility, durability, and well-being

From Impulse Buying to Thoughtful Consumption

A number of pre-pandemic behaviors, especially impulse purchases, have declined in favor of more rational, value-based decisions. Households increasingly emphasize:

• price sensitivity and value for money
• durability and long-term utility
• provenance, transparency, and ethical considerations

Impact on Spending Patterns

The home has become a central locus of investment: furniture, home improvement, work-from-home equipment, everyday essentials, and comfort-related purchases. E-commerce has played a transformative role by making these categories more accessible, more comparable, and often more affordable.

Consumers are no longer simply buying products; they are optimizing living spaces and improving their overall quality of life.

The role of declining purchasing power — a decisive driver

One of the most underestimated forces behind today’s behavioral shift is the erosion of purchasing power. Across Europe and the United States, inflation, housing costs, energy prices, and uncertainty have compelled households to rethink how they allocate their money.

This economic pressure has been a decisive driver of:

• E-commerce adoption: for price comparison, deals, convenience, and reduced transportation costs
• Recommerce expansion: to access quality goods at lower prices
• Home-oriented spending: privileging comfort and durable utility
• Hybrid shopping strategies: comparing online, testing in-store, buying at the best price, reselling afterwards
• Reduced impulsivity: prioritizing planned, value-aligned purchases

👉 Purchasing power has not just accompanied the transformation—it has propelled it.

Hybrid consumption patterns — the new normal

E-commerce has not replaced physical retail. Instead, consumers now move fluidly between online and offline channels, choosing each based on the product, the urgency, and the value sought.

Why Hybrid Models Dominate

• Products requiring testing or assessment (appliances, bulky items, fashion) still rely on physical retail.
• Smaller or standardized goods (accessories, electronics, resale items) are easily purchased online.
• Consumers increasingly value flexibility: comparing prices online, testing in-store, buying online, and reselling afterward.

This hybridization is not a compromise, it has become a strategic, optimized way of consuming.

U.S. vs. Europe — Differences and Convergences

Despite different regulatory, cultural, and economic contexts, the underlying shifts are strikingly similar across both regions.

Implications for Companies and Investors

For Companies and Brands

• Adopt a truly omnichannel approach (online + offline + resale).
• Increase transparency about sourcing, sustainability, supply chains.
• Offer durable, repairable, or refurbished alternatives.
• Focus on value, utility, comfort, and long-term satisfaction.

For Investors

• Opportunities in e-commerce, logistics, recommerce, and circular economy platforms.
• Strong potential in home, comfort, and well-being sectors.
• Companies aligned with sustainability and transparency gain long-term resilience.

For Public Policy and Society

• Encourage responsible consumption behaviors.
• Support digital access and infrastructure.
• Address the environmental impact of large-scale e-commerce and logistics.

Conclusion — A Durable Yet Nuanced Shift in Consumption

The pandemic may have triggered early behavioral changes, but it is today’s economic pressures and social recomposition that are driving a structural transformation. E-commerce, recommerce, hybrid consumption, value-oriented purchasing, and home-centric spending are now the pillars of this new landscape.

Across Europe and the United States, data from 2024–2025 shows that consumers have redefined their priorities: less impulsivity, more reflection, more demand for value: economic, social, and ethical. For companies, investors, and policymakers, this signals the need to adapt to a new paradigm, one grounded in durability, transparency, digital fluidity, and the optimization of everyday life.

👉 The “world after” is not a return to how things were. It is a quiet realignment, a silent mutation, and for those who can listen and adapt, a landscape full of opportunity.