Department stores are top choice for luxury purchases

Key stat: Department stores are the most popular destination for personal luxury goods purchases, with 44.5% of US adults shopping in-person and 33.2% shopping on department store websites or apps, according to “The EMARKETER Luxury Survey” conducted by Bizrate Insights in August 2024.

Beyond the chart:

• US personal luxury retail sales will reach $112.45 billion in 2025, a 3.5% growth YoY, according to our August 2024 forecast.
• Personal luxury ecommerce sales will grow faster than physical luxury (3.8% vs. 3.4%) in 2025, though physical retail will still account for 81.5% of total personal luxury sales in the US.

Use this chart: Marketers and retailers can use this chart to show that even though traditional retail channels like department or luxury stores dominate luxury sales, there are growth opportunities cropping up on social media and resale platforms.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Retail Trends to Watch in 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Luxury Ecommerce 2024(EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the August 2024 "The EMARKETER Luxury Survey" conducted by Bizrate Insights. 967 US adults ages 18 + were surveyed online between July 29 and August 22, 2024. Respondents identified as female (52.8%) and male (47.2%) and were ages 18-34 (26.0%), 35-54 (27.4%), 55-64 (24.6%), and 65 or more(22.0%). Data has a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval. Respondents were members of Bizrate Rewards, the Bizrate Consumer Panel operated by Bizrate Insights, which is comprised of over 2 million panelists who provide feedback based on their experiences and opinions. The Bizrate Rewards panel is comprised of a broad demographic profile which represents a sampling of all ages, education levels, genders, and incomes. At the time of joining the panel, each panelist stated they had shopped online. In exchange for providing feedback, panelists have the opportunity to earn points, which can be exchanged for electronic gift cards. This survey, provided by Bizrate Insights on behalf of EMARKETER, provides a monthly consumer pulse of digital shopping behavior and intent.