Prime time for online shopping: why Switzerland orders after 9 pm
Online shopping is shifting to the evening hours. Galaxus and Digitec are seeing more orders after 8 p.m. than ever before. Extended order deadlines and changing consumer habits are driving this trend—with one exception: Ticino.
Just a few years ago, online shopping peaked before the lunch break and just before closing time. But the picture has changed: Today, Galaxus and Digitec customers order most frequently in the evening hours - with a peak between 9 and 10 pm.
One reason for this is the extended order deadline from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in fall 2023. "By extending the order deadline, we are responding to the need for more flexibility in online shopping," says Hendrik Blijdenstein, Chief Commercial Officer of Galaxus and Digitec. Orders placed by 8:59 p.m. are usually delivered the very next day.
The growing importance of smartphones as a shopping platform is also striking. In August 2024, for the first time, more orders were placed on a mobile device than on a computer. "In today's busy lives, some people only get to relax in the evening, and with a smartphone on the couch, shopping can be done quickly," says Hendrik.
Demographic factors also play a role: the proportion of female customers is increasing and women prefer to store in the evening. The gender distribution is currently four women to six men, although the account of the person placing the order is not always the deciding factor.
Ticino is an exception. While ordering times are similar in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland, Ticino residents mainly order during working hours - but hardly ever in the evening.
