How the ‘couch economy’ is changing your spending

A growing number of shoppers are spending money without leaving the house, joining what Visa is calling the "couch economy."

Visa Business and Economic Insights analyzed Visa data across its network, which shows a growing number of U.S. consumers are increasingly spending from their phones, laptops and tablets rather than going to a physical store. The share of domestic spending online has increased from 48% in 2019 to 58% in 2026.

More shoppers are using their mobile devices to order groceries, binge TV with their streaming services or have dinner delivered, Visa said in a recent analysis.

The percentage of shoppers who are frequent online or in-app buyers, which accounts for 10 or more transactions a month as a percentage of total active cards, is also growing among U.S. consumers, rising from 13.1% in 2018 to 25.4% in 2026.

Consumers' spending online has been increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic, said Wayne Best, Visa's chief economist. But "digital behaviors are now starting to become habits, with consumers increasingly engaging through a lot of their applications that they have available to them," Best told USA TODAY. AI is also taking a bigger role in helping consumers find the best prices and deals…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/money/