How are U.S. consumers addressing the changes in their cost of living?

Nearly nine in 10 Americans have seen their cost-of-living increase over the past five years, and a new study has found it’s having a massive impact on how they’re shopping, particularly online.

The poll of 2,000 U.S. adults found consumers now spend the most on groceries (35%), clothing (27%) and home goods (17%) when shopping online.

Over three in four (76%) believe the underlying cause for cost-of-living increases is due to inflation, leading 61% of consumers to shift their online shopping habits.

Commissioned by Forter and conducted by Talker Research, the study showed people have addressed the changes in their cost of living by shopping less often (55%), buying only necessities (44%) and buying the cheapest version of the products they want (34%).