Report · Culture

Most Americans made a purchase in the past week

Reading

Most Americans did some shopping in the past week, and the most widespread act was the sale itself: 80% say they completed a purchase, according to a December 2025 Verasight survey.

Two-thirds (66%) looked for the best prices or deals, and about half (52%) explored product options before deciding. Smaller shares gathered reviews and recommendations (40%), basic product facts (36%) or shopping inspiration (26%), while just 6% did none of these things.

Topline

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Selected responses

Most Americans made a purchase in the past week.

Over the last week, which of the following shopping-related activities, if any, did you do?

  • Complete a purchase 79.6%
  • Find the best prices/deals 66.5%
  • Explore product options, research and decide 51.7%
  • Get reviews, recommendations and/or advice 39.9%
  • Get basic product facts or shopping info 36.1%
  • Get shopping inspiration or ideas 26.3%
  • None of the above 6.1%

2025 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.2%

tech_behavior

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-12-03 → 2025-12-08
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.2%
Module
tech_behavior

Source

Citation

Verasight Human/LLM Comparison Survey #2025-172, fielded December 3-8, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-human-v-synthetic

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.