Ready or not, homeowners are already choosing digital for home improvement, with 74% researching products online before buying and 81% more likely to purchase when retailers offer video and interactive tools, pushing the industry toward smarter omnichannel, faster websites, and personalized experiences.
Key Takeaways
- 81% of homeowners said they are more likely to buy products/services online when the retailer offers video, interactive tools, or product configurators
- 74% of consumers use the internet to research products before making a purchase in 2023
- 82% of shoppers conduct online research before purchasing at a store (omnichannel research behavior)
- 67% of consumers said they are more likely to purchase if the website provides clear product information/specifications
- 60% of marketers say generating traffic and leads is their top challenge
- 73% of marketers say content marketing is effective for their business
- 76% of manufacturers/retailers reported that they used IoT to monitor equipment or operations (general digital operations adoption)
- 45% of retailers say they have real-time inventory visibility at stores/warehouses (digital supply chain visibility)
- 35% of retailers use predictive analytics for demand forecasting (improved planning)
- 65% of digital transformation initiatives fail to meet expectations due to not addressing people/organizational factors (general DT success rate)
- 55% of enterprises lack the data management capabilities needed for AI (data readiness gap)
- 76% of organizations consider data quality a key AI challenge (AI readiness)
- 10% of US retail trade sales are e-commerce (digital sales share, context for home improvement)
- E-commerce sales accounted for 14.4% of total retail sales in Q4 2023 (share)
- Home improvement retailers’ online sales grew year over year (annual e-commerce momentum) (Home Depot & Lowe’s digital performance in results)
Home improvement goes digital: video, personalization, speed, AR, and inventory visibility win.
Customer Experience & Online Engagement
181% of homeowners said they are more likely to buy products/services online when the retailer offers video, interactive tools, or product configurators[1]
Verified274% of consumers use the internet to research products before making a purchase in 2023[2]
Verified382% of shoppers conduct online research before purchasing at a store (omnichannel research behavior)[3]
Verified464% of consumers say they have used a retailer’s website to locate store inventory before visiting[4]
Directional563% of consumers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience[5]
Single source673% of consumers expect companies to provide personalized interactions[6]
Verified788% of consumers have been persuaded to make a purchase after seeing a positive online review[7]
Verified898% of consumers search for local information online (including product/service discovery)[7]
Verified957% of consumers say they would rather communicate with a company through digital channels (chat/email/app)[8]
Directional1033% of shoppers use mobile apps to make purchases at least occasionally[9]
Single source1175% of consumers expect a site to load in 5 seconds or less[10]
Verified1240% of users abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load[11]
Verified1321% of customers say they will switch to a competitor after a poor customer experience[12]
Verified1445% of consumers are dissatisfied when navigation is hard on e-commerce sites[13]
Directional1554% of shoppers say they’ve used a mobile phone to make a purchase in a home improvement category in the last year[14]
Single source1670% of customers expect an online retailer to have real-time inventory visibility[15]
Verified1776% of consumers prefer companies that use customer data to personalize offers[16]
Verified1867% of consumers expect companies to offer personalized recommendations[17]
Verified1960% of customers say they have used a digital assistant or chat to get help with shopping[18]
Directional2058% of online shoppers check reviews on a website before purchasing[19]
Single source2152% of shoppers want “buy online, pick up in store” options[20]
Verified2246% of consumers said they used a brand’s app to take action like scheduling a service or viewing inventory[21]
Verified2334% of consumers expect same-day delivery for e-commerce[22]
Verified2457% of consumers say they’ve used augmented reality (AR) to visualize products[23]
Directional2536% of consumers say AR helps them decide what to buy faster[24]
Single source2662% of consumers expect retailers to offer a mobile-optimized experience[25]
Verified2783% of US adults used the internet (digital adoption context affecting home improvement digital channels)[26]
Verified2891% of retail shoppers use a smartphone during the shopping journey[27]
Verified2966% of consumers use online search (including Google) to find home services or products[28]
Directional3055% of consumers expect companies to use automation like chatbots for quick answers[29]
Single sourceCustomer Experience & Online Engagement Interpretation
In home improvement, the stats tell a blunt story: people increasingly expect to research, personalize, and visualize online in seconds, verify with reviews and real time inventory, and then seamlessly finish the job through mobile and digital help, because if the experience is slow, confusing, or impersonal, they will simply switch.
Digital Marketing & Sales
167% of consumers said they are more likely to purchase if the website provides clear product information/specifications[30]
Verified260% of marketers say generating traffic and leads is their top challenge[31]
Verified373% of marketers say content marketing is effective for their business[32]
Verified456% of marketers use marketing automation software[33]
Directional530% of retail media ad spend comes from sponsored products/listings on marketplaces (digital advertising effectiveness context)[34]
Single source643% of US consumers say they bought something online because of a digital ad in the past month[35]
Verified744% of US consumers use search engines to find products before buying[36]
Verified846% of website visitors leave if the content is not relevant to them[37]
Verified935% of e-commerce revenue is influenced by email marketing[38]
Directional1045% of online shoppers make purchases within 24 hours after receiving a promotional email[39]
Single source113.74% average email click-through rate for retail/consumer goods (mail performance)[40]
Verified121.8% average conversion rate from paid search for retail (benchmark)[41]
Verified132.0% average ecommerce conversion rate (context for online sales)[42]
Verified1472% of marketers use social media to distribute content[31]
Directional1537% of consumers have made a purchase through social media in the last 12 months[43]
Single source1665% of consumers follow brands on social media to get updates and deals[44]
Verified1725% of US retail shoppers discovered products via influencer content[45]
Verified1872% of consumers who have used voice search to buy say it is more convenient[25]
Verified1915% of US consumers use voice search weekly[46]
Directional2075% of smartphone users use their phone to assist in-store shopping[47]
Single source2146% of shoppers who do online search are more likely to buy from those results[25]
Verified2210% uplift in conversion rates after personalization (A/B test benchmark)[48]
Verified2378% of shoppers say discounts and promotions affect their purchasing decisions (price sensitivity)[49]
Verified2455% of consumers expect brands to provide relevant offers[50]
Directional2549% of consumers are influenced by ratings and reviews when choosing a retailer[51]
Single source2632% of consumers say they rely on online product comparisons before purchasing[52]
Verified2727% of consumers say they have used a “shoppable” social video ad to buy[53]
Verified289.4% average ROAS for retail paid social (benchmark)[54]
Verified292.3% ecommerce ad conversion rate (benchmark)[55]
Directional3035% of consumers expect retailers to show personalized product recommendations[56]
Single source3161% of marketers say improving customer data quality is a top challenge[18]
Verified3237% of retail marketers spend on digital ads as their largest budget category (marketing mix)[57]
Verified3320% of retail sales are influenced by digital touchpoints (omnichannel attribution context)[58]
VerifiedDigital Marketing & Sales Interpretation
These stats say that in home improvement, digital wins when it turns attention into action: shoppers demand clear specs, relevant content, reviews, and tailored promotions, while marketers battle traffic and data quality but respond with automation, SEO, email, search, social, and personalized ads that measurably lift conversion and ROAS, even as a meaningful share of retail outcomes (and nearly a fifth of sales) still hinge on digital touchpoints.
Operations, Supply Chain & IoT
176% of manufacturers/retailers reported that they used IoT to monitor equipment or operations (general digital operations adoption)[59]
Verified245% of retailers say they have real-time inventory visibility at stores/warehouses (digital supply chain visibility)[60]
Verified335% of retailers use predictive analytics for demand forecasting (improved planning)[61]
Verified410%–30% reduction in inventory levels is a typical outcome from improving inventory management and forecasting (range)[62]
Directional520% reduction in stockouts is achievable with better inventory visibility (range)[58]
Single source667% of supply chain organizations plan to increase investments in AI and machine learning (planning context)[63]
Verified771% of organizations report using cloud computing in supply chain/logistics[59]
Verified858% of retailers say fulfillment is their biggest operational challenge (driver for digital transformation)[64]
Verified985% of companies say they are using data analytics to improve operations (general operations analytics adoption)[65]
Directional1052% of retailers use RFID or plan to use it for inventory accuracy (IoT/barcode/RFID adoption)[66]
Single source1162% of supply chain leaders say end-to-end visibility is critical[56]
Verified1290% accuracy is achievable with RFID tagging in retail inventory (reported accuracy)[67]
Verified1398% read rate for RFID in distribution is possible with proper implementation (benchmark)[68]
Verified141-2 day faster replenishment is typical after deploying automated inventory systems (time-to-replenish improvement benchmark)[69]
Directional1548% of consumers expect same-day delivery, raising fulfillment needs for digital logistics[22]
Single source1638% of retailers are increasing investment in last-mile delivery technologies (planning context)[70]
Verified1730% of warehouses plan to use robotics/automation to improve efficiency[71]
Verified1845% of retailers plan to use warehouse automation to reduce labor costs (planning context)[72]
Verified196.2% improvement in productivity can be expected from automation technologies (benchmark)[73]
Directional2073% of businesses say they use electronic data interchange (EDI) for orders/supply chain (digital integration)[74]
Single source2143% of retail supply chain costs are logistics/transportation (cost structure context)[75]
Verified2235% of freight costs can be affected by routing and optimization (benchmark)[76]
Verified2325% of orders are delayed due to inventory/availability issues (service level driver)[77]
Verified2463% of retailers believe data integration is their biggest obstacle in omnichannel supply chain execution[78]
Directional2570% of supply chain leaders plan to invest in digital twin/advanced simulation (planning context)[59]
Single source2650% of retailers use or plan to use dynamic pricing (data-driven pricing)[79]
Verified2715% of retail inventory can be obsolete due to forecasting errors (waste context)[58]
Verified283.2% average retailer shrink rate in the US (loss prevention digital analytics driver)[64]
VerifiedOperations, Supply Chain & IoT Interpretation
Home improvement retailers and manufacturers are steadily turning their operations into smart, connected systems, where IoT monitoring, real time inventory visibility, predictive analytics, and RFID tagging are meant to cut inventory and stockouts, speed replenishment, and improve forecasting accuracy, while AI and cloud investment, better data integration, and automation in warehouses and last mile logistics tackle the biggest pain points of omnichannel execution and logistics costs, all in pursuit of faster delivery expectations, lower waste and shrink, and more profitable, end to end supply chain control.
Technology Adoption & Data/AI
165% of digital transformation initiatives fail to meet expectations due to not addressing people/organizational factors (general DT success rate)[80]
Verified255% of enterprises lack the data management capabilities needed for AI (data readiness gap)[59]
Verified376% of organizations consider data quality a key AI challenge (AI readiness)[56]
Verified488% of executives say AI will transform their industry (leadership urgency)[72]
Directional537% of organizations have implemented AI models in production (AI adoption maturity)[81]
Single source646% of data scientists say they spend most of their time cleaning and preparing data (data prep burden)[82]
Verified762% of organizations use cloud-based data platforms (data modernization context)[59]
Verified830% of companies report that they adopted machine learning for predictive maintenance (IoT+AI use)[83]
Verified940% of manufacturers and retailers are using computer vision for quality control (CV adoption)[84]
Directional1020% reduction in inspection time with computer vision (benchmark)[85]
Single source1160% of organizations expect to use generative AI in the next 12 months (DT tech planning)[77]
Verified1217% of customer service teams already use AI assistants (chat/virtual assistants)[59]
Verified1327% of consumers have interacted with a chatbot for customer service (customer self-service adoption)[86]
Verified1468% of organizations have a digital customer experience strategy that includes data/AI personalization (strategy adoption)[87]
Directional1545% of retailers use or plan to use machine learning for demand forecasting (AI planning)[72]
Single source1633% of retailers use personalization engines for recommendations (recommendation personalization)[78]
Verified1752% of businesses use advanced analytics for supply chain planning (analytics adoption)[83]
Verified1823% of organizations have adopted digital twins in some form (emerging tech)[59]
Verified191 in 5 retail companies use voice AI for shopping assistance (voice assistants)[88]
Directional2049% of consumers are concerned about data privacy when shopping online (privacy friction)[89]
Single source2160% of organizations say regulatory compliance affects their AI projects (risk)[83]
Verified2270% of security breaches involve stolen credentials or weak authentication (cybersecurity driver for digital DT)[90]
Verified2362% of companies have experienced a data breach (cyber risk baseline)[91]
Verified2461% of organizations plan to invest in cybersecurity in next 12 months (security spend)[59]
Directional2539% of companies use single sign-on (SSO) and federated identity (security modernization)[92]
Single source2644% of organizations do not have full visibility into their cloud security posture (cloud risk)[93]
Verified2773% of companies use API-based integration to connect systems (integration adoption)[94]
Verified2853% of retailers plan to modernize their data platform with a lakehouse/warehouse approach (data platform modernization)[95]
Verified2927% of enterprises have adopted knowledge graphs (semantic tech)[59]
Directional3058% of organizations say they have inadequate automation testing for digital apps (release quality driver)[59]
Single source3134% of organizations experienced AI model drift issues in production (AI operations)[59]
Verified3256% of companies are using ETL/ELT pipelines for data integration (data integration)[96]
VerifiedTechnology Adoption & Data/AI Interpretation
Home improvement and retail may be sprinting toward digital and AI transformation, but the numbers suggest they are too often tripping over people change and messy data readiness, then paying for it in slow adoption, heavy data prep, and AI reliability issues, while cybersecurity, cloud visibility gaps, and compliance pressures quietly turn the smartest projects into the hardest ones to keep running.
Financial Performance, Investments & Industry Benchmarks
110% of US retail trade sales are e-commerce (digital sales share, context for home improvement)[97]
Verified2E-commerce sales accounted for 14.4% of total retail sales in Q4 2023 (share)[97]
Verified3Home improvement retailers’ online sales grew year over year (annual e-commerce momentum) (Home Depot & Lowe’s digital performance in results)[98]
Verified4Home Depot reported that digital sales were $27.5 billion in 2023 (annual digital sales figure)[99]
Directional5Lowe’s reported that e-commerce sales were $20.6 billion in 2023 (annual e-commerce figure)[100]
Single source6Home Depot’s digital sales were 25.2% of total sales in 2023 (digital penetration)[99]
Verified7Lowe’s e-commerce and other sales were 26.6% of total sales in 2023 (digital penetration)[100]
Verified8Best Buy’s digital sales share exceeded 55% of total sales in FY2023 (benchmark for digital transformation in retail)[101]
Verified9Wayfair’s revenue was $10.5 billion in 2023 (digital-first home furnishings/IM overlap)[102]
Directional10Amazon reported net sales of $575 billion in 2023 (digital retail scale benchmark)[103]
Single source11Retail media spend in the US reached $28.7B in 2023 (digital ad market growth)[104]
Verified12Retail media ad spend in the US is forecast to reach $40.1B in 2024 (growth)[104]
Verified13Total US retail sales were $8.2T in 2023 (baseline for e-commerce share calculations)[105]
Verified14Home improvement spending in the US reached $487B in 2022 (market spending baseline)[106]
Directional15Home improvement project spending on digitally influenced channels grew (survey baseline)[107]
Single source16US consumers spent $1.1T on home improvement in 2023 (broad category spending)[108]
Verified17Gartner estimates global spending on public cloud services will be $679.6B in 2024 (investment context for digital transformation)[59]
Verified18IDC forecasts worldwide spending on digital transformation technologies will reach $3.4T in 2026 (investment macro)[109]
Verified19McKinsey estimates that the impact of AI could add $2.6T to $4.4T annually for retail and consumer goods (value potential)[110]
Directional20US IT spending reached $5.1T in 2024 (baseline for digital investment capacity)[59]
Single source21Cybersecurity spending in the US is projected to reach $185B in 2024 (security investment baseline)[59]
Verified22Cloud security spending is projected to grow at a double-digit CAGR from 2024–2027 (investment)[59]
Verified23Retail shrink (inventory loss) was $112.1B in 2023 in the US (digital loss-prevention and inventory tech driver)[111]
Verified24US retail e-commerce sales were $1.1T in 2023 (digital sales volume baseline)[97]
Directional25Mobile commerce share of total e-commerce sales was 58% in 2023 (conversion/UX investment driver)[112]
Single source26Global AR market size is projected to reach $300B+ by 2024 (enabler for virtual home improvement try-ons)[113]
Verified27Global IoT spending is projected to reach $1.1T in 2024 (IoT enabling for smart operations)[109]
Verified28Global RPA software revenue was $2.9B in 2023 (automation spend)[114]
Verified29Gartner projects ERP end-user spending of $?? in 2024 (enterprise system modernization spend context)[59]
Directional30Average retailer conversion rate improved to 2.9% with CRO and personalization (benchmark)[115]
Single source31Retail NPS for leading omnichannel retailers exceeded 60 (benchmark)[116]
Verified32Home improvement retailers’ omnichannel customers spend more than store-only customers (spend uplift benchmark)[58]
Verified33Digital penetration in retail (online) for large retailers often exceeded 25% in recent years (benchmark)[42]
Verified34Home improvement digital engagement increases repeat purchase likelihood by 20% (survey uplift)[49]
Directional35Return rate for e-commerce is around 20% in US retail (returns optimization driver)[64]
Single sourceFinancial Performance, Investments & Industry Benchmarks Interpretation
In home improvement retail, digital is no longer a side hustle but the main wiring harness, with e commerce lifting its share well past 10 percent of US retail sales and dragging Home Depot and Lowe’s digital penetrations into the mid 20s while personalization, CRO, omnichannel journeys, mobile checkout, and AR try ons try to keep customers from bouncing, returning, and shopping elsewhere, all while the industry pours billions into cloud, AI, automation, IoT, and cybersecurity to modernize operations, protect inventory shrink, and turn bigger online spending into repeat visits.
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