Beyond AOV: Understanding a Wider Picture of Consumer Behavior

While average order value (AOV) is frequently talked about, it doesn’t always provide retailers with a comprehensive view of consumer behavior. Combined with other insights, AOV can give retailers a deeper understanding of what triggers consumer buying decisions. (1) 

A few other direct and indirect factors of that influence consumer behavior include: 

• Drivers for repeat purchases (2) 
• How consumers feel about the economy and their financial situation (3) 
• Consumer shopping channel preferences (4) 

In this Q&A, we will take a brief look at current consumer behavior influences and how lease-to-own (LTO) can help retailers stay prepared to meet the needs of their consumers. 

What role does necessity play in repeat purchases? 

When consumers come back to make a repeat purchase, it’s rightly viewed as a loyalty signal. It’s also important to remember that necessity can be a big motivator, especially for big-ticket durable goods. When a major appliance or furniture piece breaks, many consumers can find themselves in a financial bind if credit and financing are their only options to access a replacement or upgrade. Consider the numbers: 

• 32% of appliance buyers have no savings set aside for replacement, suggesting a high likelihood of repurchase driven by need (5) 
• Average repeat customer rates for eCommerce fall between 15%-30%, depending on the industry category (6): 
• Electronics: 18% 
• Home & Furniture: 15% 
• Automotive: 25% 

In industries like these, offering LTO can help reduce friction when urgent access to big-ticket items is needed. 

What signals can consumer sentiment reveal beyond performance data? 

While performance data, such as AOV, provides the hard numbers that prove what consumers have spent, sentiment data adds additional context about how they may be feeling about their financial situation and the broader economy. 

From January to July 2025, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index ranged from 50.8 to 73.2. On a scale where 100 indicates the strongest consumer confidence, these values suggest that consumers are still feeling cautious about spending. Sentiment declined through the spring, reached its lowest point in April and May, and began a modest recovery heading into summer. (7) (3) 

For retailers, this underscores the value of staying agile and responsive to shifts in consumer mindset. When transactional trends are inconsistent or difficult to interpret, sentiment can be an early indicator that spending will go up or down in the near-term. 

Providing a variety of checkout options can help capture a broader range of consumer types, particularly during times of financial uncertainty. 

What does channel preference say about how consumers want to shop? 

In 2022, a Pew Research survey found that about one-third of U.S. consumers made mobile purchases at least once a week (8). The same survey reported that 76% used mobile devices to shop online, compared to 69% who used desktops or laptops. 

This growing comfort with mobile shopping aligns with broader shifts in digital behavior. By June 2025, mobile devices accounted for 48% of all U.S. online traffic, reflecting the increasing time consumers spend on their phones (9). 

As mobile habits continue to change, retailers have an opportunity to adapt their checkout experiences, adding alternatives to credit and financing like LTO. This is how retailers can meet or exceed consumer expectations and capture a wider market. 

How can Acima support retailers in adapting checkout to today’s consumer trends? 

For enterprise retailers not yet offering LTO, this can be an ideal time to explore how Acima can support business growth: 

A Scalable, Retail-Tested Solution: 

Retailers of all sizes use Acima’s LTO solution to scale their businesses and respond to the growing economic pressures that consumers face. 

This has resulted in proven growth across a variety of retail industries. It’s especially relevant in today’s economy, where budget-conscious and non-prime consumers are seeking alternatives to credit and financing at checkout. 

A Path to Larger Transactions: 

By removing the need for full payment at checkout, LTO can enable more consumers to consider bundled or big-ticket transactions. (10) Retailers can work this into a strategy to support order growth even as AOVs fluctuate. 

Built for Mobile Shopping: 

Given the continued rise of mobile transactions, Acima's app, which works seamlessly on mobile and tablet devices, can help retailers meet consumers where they’re already engaging. 

What’s the takeaway for enterprise retailers? 

Metrics like AOV can offer clues, but they don’t always tell the whole story. Retailers looking to stay responsive to today’s consumer trends can focus on additional economic indicators and shifts in purchasing habits. LTO with Acima is one way to align with these shifts and give consumers access to big-ticket durable goods when they want them. Connect with our team today and discover how Acima can help you reach a wider range of consumers across the credit spectrum. 

The content of this article is provided solely for general interest and should not be relied upon or construed as any form of advice, whether legal, financial, or otherwise. Receipt or use of this information does not create any sort of relationship between us. 

Sources: 

1. Shopify. Average order value: Definition and 5 ways to grow it 
2. Indeed. Repeat purchases: 10 strategies for driving customer retention 
3. Investopedia. Consumer sentiment: Definition, measurement, and importance 
4. Twinr. The rise of mobile shopping 
5. Investing.com. Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index 
6. American Home Shield (AHS). U.S. appliance purchase trends 
7. MobiLoud. Repeat customer rate in ecommerce: What’s good and how to improve it 
8. Pew Research Center. Phones and influencers: How young adults shop today 
9. StatCounter. Global platform usage: Desktop vs. mobile vs. tablet 
10. Acima. Inclusive shopping options white paper