As the year winds down, we’re reflecting on 2024’s most unforgettable moments — quirky essentials, eyebrow-raising splurges, cultural events, and TikTok trends that had consumers hitting “add to cart.” It’s clear that this year’s most memorable purchases often came from the unexpected: the total solar eclipse, National Girlfriend Day, tennis matches, and more. Ultimately, it was the “moments in between the moments” that reflected the pulse of 2024.
Top Purchases For 2024’s Biggest Moments: From iconic sports highlights to social-media inspired shopping, shopping trends mirrored some of the year’s most memorable moments — with a few surprises along the way.*
Bundling Up: January 14th was one of the coldest days of 2024 in the US, and consumers were prepared to beat the chill. Orders for firewood (2,914%), space heaters (687%), and hand warmers (282%) all spiked on January 15.
Post-Valentine Panic: While Valentine’s Day is filled with gift-gifting, this year saw a surprising trend — forgetful partners scrambling to make up for missed moments. On February 15th, we saw a significant boost in fresh flowers (11,030%), premium chocolate (1,678%), truffle chocolates (3,294%) and perfume (677%).
Out Of This World: If one celestial event brought everyone outside together, it was the total solar eclipse. Orders for sunglasses spiked 712% on April 8th, as consumers geared up to catch the four-minute phenomenon.
Cloud Nine Cravings: 4/20 is a day known for snacking, but this year, people weren’t just satisfying their sweet tooth — they were craving something heartier. Consumers indulged in ribs (1,191%) and beef patties (6,304%) more than usual.
Summer Spikes: A summer spike in COVID brought consumers back to stocking up on COVID tests. In fact, orders for at-home COVID tests surged 67 times beginning June 18th through September 4th, proving that consumers are continuing to keep their health and safety top of mind.
Double The Love: Holidays like National Girlfriend Day on August 1st are inspiring lovebirds to step up their game beyond Valentine’s Day. This National Girlfriend’s Day, there was an overwhelming uptick in orders for fresh cut flowers (10,814%). Because let’s face it: who wants to receive flowers just once a year?
TikTok-To-Table: As soon as August arrived, so did a wave of consumer obsession for social media’s viral “Cucumber Salad” trend. It drove a noticeable spike in orders for cucumbers (177%), rice vinegar (180%), and sesame seeds (100%) on August 8th, following the recipe’s breakout moment.
The Great Coffee Debate: As millions tuned in for the first and only vice presidential debate — which didn’t kick off until 9 pm ET — Americans were in need of some morning fuel. Hot coffee orders spiked 1,667% the next morning, on October 2nd.
Serving Looks: After weeks of watching the pros at the US Open, consumers felt inspired to hit the courts themselves. The day of the women’s singles finals on September 7th, tennis racket orders spiked 116% as consumers tapped into their inner athlete.
Game Day Essentials: Consumers kicked off the first Sunday of football season with orders for game day staples. Sunday, September 8th saw significant gains in chicken wings (9,000%), buffalo sauce (345%), bean dip (737%), Worcestershire sauce (524%), blue cheese dressing (342%), and baby carrots (7,000%) — proving that you can’t go wrong with the classics.
People Spent Money On What?! We looked back at this year’s most expensive and least expensive orders — and the results prove that consumers know how to get what they want when they want it.
Skincare Splurge: We all love a good skincare routine — but one consumer took it to the next level, spending over $4,000 on La Mer Moisturizing Face Cream. Dry skin? Not an option.
Calling All Veggie Lovers: Who knew green beans were in high demand? Someone with a serious love of this simple veggie shelled out an astounding $5,000 on them this year.
A-Peeling Purchase: A consumer placed a 53-cent order on one single banana. Yes, you read that right! That order was (dare we say) bananas.
A Dip To Remember: In another surprising, yet relatable moment, a consumer placed a 10-cent order for creamy ranch and a single straw from one iconic fast-food chain where the arches shine bright. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Twice the cravings? Twice the fun! Why stick to one place when you can mix and match your order across multiple spots in one go? This year, there was one single DoubleDash order that people craved most: a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos to accompany their Chipotle Mexican Grill Burrito Bowl.
*According to DoorDash order data from January 2024 through October 2024
