Millennials fueling America’s $14B drunk shopping habit: survey

Consumers make pour decisions.

Some 17% of Americans are guilty of shopping while under the influence, spending an average of $309 each, according to the Finder’s Drunk Shopping Survey of 2,179 online respondents.

That equates to $14 billion over the last 12 months.

But that tab is significantly less compared to Finder’s 2021 survey, which determined Americans collectively spent $21.6 billion on drunk purchases, half as much as the $44.9 billion in 2020, when the world stayed inside because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new Finder’s poll, conducted in January and February, found that men (26%) are more likely than women (10%) to make a drunk purchase. The top category for men to shop while intoxicated is food (47%), while women (50%) opt for shoes, clothes, or accessories.

Other top items for men are: shoes, clothes, or accessories (46%), gambling (43%), and cigarettes (42%). Major female purchases include food (15%), alcohol (8%), cigarettes (5%), and pets, music, and gambling (4% each).

Motor vehicles drive the most expensive category with an average spend of $2,038.

Millennials (33%) are the generation most likely to hit “add to cart” when they’re drinking compared to Gen Z (28%), Gen X (8%), and Baby Boomers (2%).

Food was the top choice for boomers at 45%, with alcohol the most popular option for Gen X at 45%. Shoes, clothes or accessories were the most commonly bought items by both millennials (52%) and Gen Z (44%).

People on the West Coast (20%) are most likely to drunk shop while those in the Midwest (15%) are the least likely.

The study found under-the-influence shopping habits differ by salary.

People earning more than $100,000 a year (26%) are almost twice as likely to drunk shop as those who earn under $100,000 (15%).