E-Commerce During Covid: Stylized Facts from 47 Economies

19 Pages Posted: 25 Feb 2022 Last revised: 26 Mar 2023

See all articles by Joel Alcedo

Joel Alcedo

Mastercard

Alberto Cavallo

Harvard University - Business School (HBS)

Bricklin Dwyer

Mastercard

Prachi Mishra

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department

Antonio Spilimbergo

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - The William Davidson Institute

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 2022

Abstract

We study e-commerce across 47 economies and 26 industries during the COVID-19 pandemic using aggregated and anonymized transaction-level data from Mastercard, scaled to represent total consumer spending. The share of online transactions in total consumption increased more in economies with higher pre-pandemic e-commerce shares, exacerbating the digital divide across economies. Overall, the latest data suggest that these spikes in online spending shares are dissipating at the aggregate level, though there is variation across industries. In particular, the share of online spending in professional services and recreation has fallen below its pre-pandemic trend, but we observe a longer-lasting shift to digital in retail and restaurants.

Suggested Citation

Alcedo, Joel and Cavallo, Alberto and Dwyer, Bricklin and Mishra, Prachi and Spilimbergo, Antonio, E-Commerce During Covid: Stylized Facts from 47 Economies (February 2022). NBER Working Paper No. w29729, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4028345

Alberto Cavallo

Harvard University - Business School (HBS) ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Bricklin Dwyer

Mastercard ( email )

Prachi Mishra

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department ( email )

700 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20431
United States

Antonio Spilimbergo

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department ( email )

700 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20431
United States
202-623-6346 (Phone)
202-623-6336 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - The William Davidson Institute ( email )

724 E. University Ave.
Wyly Hall
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
United States

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