What is the “couch economy”?
Think about the last time you ordered dinner through an app, streamed a show from your living room, replenished household essentials online or booked a service on your phone. Those activities may seem unrelated, but together they point to a broader shift in consumer behavior that we call the "couch economy."
The couch economy describes how digital commerce, subscriptions, delivery services and other convenience-driven experiences are becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life. Importantly, it is not simply about people spending more time at home. It is about consumers increasingly choosing products and services that fit seamlessly into their routines, with as little friction as possible.
The couch economy sounds a lot like e-commerce. What's different about it?
When most people think about digital commerce, they think about online shopping. What stood out in our research is that the trend extends much further.
Consumers are increasingly streaming content, ordering meals, managing subscriptions and engaging with businesses through digital channels. While these activities may seem unrelated, they are connected by a common theme: convenience. Consumers increasingly want products, services and experiences to fit naturally into their lives.
That's why we think of the couch economy as something broader than e-commerce. It's not just about where consumers shop. It's about how they engage with the products, services and experiences that make up everyday life.
What surprised you most about the findings?
One of the biggest surprises was how quickly digital behaviors are becoming habits rather than occasional activities.
The strongest evidence came from frequent online and in-app purchasing. In the United Kingdom, nearly 28% of cards now make 10 or more online or in-app purchases per month, up from 15% in 2018. In the UAE, that share increased from 4.5% to 25.7% over the same period. Even in digitally mature markets such as the United States and Australia, the share of frequent online shoppers has nearly doubled.
What that suggests is that consumers are not just experimenting with digital services. They're incorporating them into their daily lives. Digital commerce is increasingly becoming a routine behavior rather than an occasional one.
One of the more surprising findings involved food delivery and pets. What do those trends tell us?
Both trends reinforce the same idea: convenience is becoming a bigger part of everyday life.
Food delivery adoption has grown steadily across markets over the past decade. In the UAE, the share of cards active on food delivery apps increased from approximately 2% in 2018 to nearly 30% in 2026. In the U.K., roughly 15% of cards now regularly engage with food delivery platforms. Perhaps most notably, the research suggests this growth is increasingly being driven by everyday consumers rather than a niche group of high spenders.
We also looked at pet-related spending as a proxy for ownership. The U.S. remains one of the most pet-oriented markets overall, with roughly 8% of domestic cards showing regular pet-related spending. Rising pet ownership contributes to recurring spending on pet food, grooming, care services and other household-related categories.
Taken together, these trends suggest consumers increasingly value services that save time, reduce friction and fit naturally into their routines.
What is the biggest takeaway for consumers and businesses?
The biggest takeaway is that convenience is becoming consumers' default expectation.
Consumers today have more ways than ever to shop, access entertainment and order meals without disrupting their routines. Whether it's shopping online, streaming a favorite show or ordering dinner through an app, many consumers are increasingly choosing options that help save time and simplify everyday tasks.
For businesses, that can create new opportunities to build loyalty through subscriptions, delivery services, digital engagement and recurring relationships. The opportunity extends beyond e-commerce to any company that can deliver a seamless experience and ongoing value.
The couch economy is not simply about consumers staying home. It's about how rising expectations for convenience are reshaping how people spend their time and money.