Online craft sales surge more than 800% as consumers look to DIY
eCommerce Data Trends
| Spring 2020
Get the updated data weekly:
Pandemic preparing means consumers want items faster
Expedited shipping requests peak again, up 305% from the same time in 2019
Pet Supplies jump 711% as families welcome new animals
- Business Insider features Kount data
- Home office and electronic sales grow again as stimulus checks arrive
- Sporting goods sales also increase 599% vs same week last year MORE on retail
Restaurants able to adapt to eCommerce lead a 21% increase in eCommerce transactions
Compared to both the February average and the same week in 2019, online order-ahead is up for many quick-service restaurants
MORE on restaurants
Stimulus checks begin to roll out; US eCommerce transactions increase
Third week of 
April shows transaction volumes up 41% compared to the February Average
Gaming and Streaming up 96% year over year as consumers stay home for more than a month
Shopping Cart Data shows stocking up isn’t slowing down:
Increase in Volume of carts containing Hand Sanitizer in March
Increase in Volume of carts containing Toilet Paper in March
RETAIL FRAUD TRENDS
Retailers need to watch for resellers, retail arbitrage, cashing out, and friendly fraud.
GAMING AND STREAMING FRAUD TRENDS
Accounts are vulnerable to credential stuffing, account takeover, and for streaming services—watch for “potlucks.”
FOOD SERVICE FRAUD TRENDS
More online orders mean more loyalty accounts—and more fraud. Stop “pizza plugs” and compromised accounts.
Media Inquiries: News@Kount.com
Global eCommerce has been impacted by Coronavirus and COVID-19 in a number of ways. Kount data shows online purchase volumes have rapidly increased for some industries. It also indicates changes in the way consumers are engaged in eCommerce.
Transaction Trends by Industry
RETAIL
533%
Increase in Home
Crafts & Wine
490%
Increase in
Pet Supplies
138%
Increase in
Sporting Goods
86%
Increase in
Wellness & Vitamins
62%
Increase in
Home Office & Electronics
Third Week of April vs. Average February Week
Trend Summary:
- Families are bringing home new animals and stocking up on supplies, leading to an increase in eCommerce pet store transactions
- Crafts continue to climb week after week, driven by both DIY personal protective equipment, like fabric for masks, and by at-home activities for the family
- Consumers are looking to stay active at home and keep the kids busy, leading to an increase in sporting goods transactions
- Stimulus checks appear to contribute to an increase the third week of April, which saw a spike in home office and electronics
- Previously, home office and electronics peaked early in the stay-at-home orders while consumers bought equipment like monitors and cords needed to work from home effectively
- Health has become a top focus, with consumers stocking up on vitamins, wellness products, and signing up for home health-improvement programs.
Retail shopping cart data shows these items have spiked week over week in March:
1244%
Increase in Volume of carts containing “Hand Sanitizer” in March
145%
Increase in Volume of carts containing “Toilet Paper” in March
89%
Increase in Volume of carts containing “Firearms” in March
Fraud Trends to Watch in Retail
Resellers
Buying low and selling high using an eCommerce retailer’s supply chain to fulfill orders. This can cause items to be out of stock and also disrupt promotions retailers use to build their business.
Retail Arbitrage
Similar to the resellers, but more dangerous because bad actors use sophisticated technology to automate the entire process providing scale and speed.
Cashing Out
This is when bad actors buy goods or obtain cash using validated stolen payment cards or other user account data.
Friendly Fraud
Occurs when customers request refunds from their issuing banks, claiming that transactions on credit card statements are fraudulent. This type can include accidental friendly fraud or intentional friendly fraud.
GAMING AND WIRELESS
Online gaming and wireless industries show a surge in demand for in-home entertainment across gaming, wireless services, and streaming media.
Fraud Trends to Watch in Gaming, Wireless, and Streaming
Credential Stuffing
Mass login attempts used to verify the validity of stolen username/password pairs. This information is used to take over accounts.
Account Takeover
Illegal access to genuine customer accounts. Due to mass data breaches and phishing attacks that expose billions of usernames and passwords, a threat agent is able to access a user’s confidential online accounts and then steal the data or value contained within them.
Streaming Potluck
Each member of a group brings their account for a streaming service and shares it. Each member of the group has access to all services. Depending on the service provider’s business model, unauthorized account sharing can cause lost revenue.
RESTAURANTS
Quick service restaurants that offer mobile-order ahead and other ways to order food online show significant growth year-over-year in digital channels. This industry is also starting to see impact from business reactions to government mandates. Within this field, some businesses show growth, while others have declined.
Fraud Trends to Watch in Restaurants
“Pizza Plug”
Fraudsters use stolen accounts to provide heavily discounted food delivery. This practice is often referred to as a “Pizza Plug” when advertised on social media.
Compromised Accounts
Fraudsters use online marketplaces to sell access to compromised accounts for streaming and food delivery. Marketplaces can offer stolen accounts from hundreds of brands for sale.
Adjusting to New eCommerce Trends
The “new normal” has also brought changes in eCommerce models. Many businesses are seeing an increase in next-day or two-day delivery requests, Buy Online, Pick Up in Store requests, and ship-from-store efforts. This could introduce new or expanded use cases for many businesses.
Same Day or Next Day shipping is up 183% week over week in mid-March.
These changes can introduce or expand fraud attempts, meaning fraud prevention leaders need to be closely involved in order to implement appropriate controls and data collection into the process. Kount’s AI-driven fraud prevention, customizable policy engine, and data and analytics tool can help businesses navigate these quickly evolving trends.
Read about Kount’s COVID-19 Response and get in touch with Kount to navigate evolving fraud prevention needs. READ BLOG
Transaction Data by Country
- eCommerce transaction volume in the USA is above peak-holiday shopping season volumes in recent weeks. As stimulus checks began to roll out in mid-April, transaction volumes appear to jump.
- Some industries are seeing major decreases in transaction volume as a result of shut downs and stay-at-home orders, but on a high-level, this is countered by increases in other verticals.
Ready To Learn More About Kount?
Kount fraud prevention experts are happy to help. Contact us today.