Shoppers Increasingly Aware of Cookies, Implications

While data privacy laws continue to evolve, consumers are becoming increasingly aware and knowledgeable about cookie tracking and its implications, a new survey found.

The “2024 Digital Consumer Insights Survey” issued by commerce and retail media platform Carter in partnership with Ipsos found that more than half (53%) of online shoppers are familiar with what they are agreeing to when they accept cookies. 

Some survey highlights include:

• 66% of online shoppers said they typically accept cookies, with younger consumers (those ages 18-34) being most likely to accept them (79%).
• 24% of respondents are influenced by personalized advertisements when shopping online, including 34% of those online shoppers ages 18-34, and 33% being weekly online shoppers.
• Primary reasons for accepting cookies include: access to full online features (53%), enhanced user experience (43%), remembering login information (34%) and personalized content (27%).
• 58% of respondents are familiar with what data is being collected by companies online through cookies, with weekly online shoppers being more knowledgeable at 66%.
• However, only 15% of people are very familiar with the specifics of the data companies are collecting. Younger consumers show a higher level of understanding, with 21% indicating they know what data is being tracked.

“We are reassured by these survey results, which highlight both a growing awareness among consumers and the importance of transparent cookie policies,” Shobhit Khandelwal, founder and CEO of Carter, said in a media release on the findings.