Fashion shopping in the U.S. is fragmented between online and offline channels. While around a third of adults mostly or always shop for clothes and shoes offline (34%) just over a quarter primarily buy online (27%), with one in three splitting their purchases between both (34%).
However, the balance varies considerably across the country. New analysis of YouGov Profiles data shows in which states online shopping has gained the strongest foothold, where offline remains particularly prominent and where shopping habits are most evenly divided.
Which U.S. states lean most heavily towards online shopping for fashion items?
At 32% each, Maryland and Delaware have some of the highest shares of consumers who generally buy clothes and shoes online. New York follows at 31%, with Virginia standing at 30%.
However, that data shows that only in a small number of states does online shopping match or exceed the offline share.
Maryland tilts marginally toward online (32% vs. 29% offline), New York records a narrower 31% to 30% split while Delaware is tied (32% for each). In all of the remaining states, those who prefer doing most of their fashion shopping offline outnumber those who buy online.
In-store fashion shopping has the edge in most U.S. states
At 39% each, Hawaii and Kansas have the highest proportions of adults who shop for clothes and shoes mostly or always offline. Montana, Utah and Iowa follow at 38%.
Some of the biggest differences between the two channels appear in these states. In Kansas, 39% lean offline compared with 24% who mainly shop online. Montana has a 38% to 25% split, Hawaii similarly stands at 39% offline and 26% online.
Balancing act: The states with the most even channel mix
A sizeable share of shoppers sit between the two ends of the spectrum. At 37%, South Dakota and New Jersey are among the states with the highest proportions dividing their fashion shopping about evenly between on- and offline channels. California, Colorado, Oklahoma and North Carolina are also at 36%.
On the whole, offline still has the edge across most U.S. states, but preferences vary noticeably from state to state.
Methodology
YouGov Profiles data is based on U.S. adults and covers the period from August 2025 to August 2026. Respondents were categorized according to whether they tend to shop for clothes and shoes all or mostly online, about evenly online and offline, or all or mostly offline. Figures in the article are rounded to the nearest whole percentage point.
