Toggling between tabs at work now includes one with a shopping cart. Employees working from home have been driving bns in online sales by browsing clothes, home goods, groceries, and luxury items in between meetings, writes The Wall Street Journal. Everything has a time and place, so even procrastinating at the office means that we do so in ways that are acceptable within the workplace.

The pandemic kickstarted a boost in online retail sales that now averages at an annual rate of USD 375 bn above the pre-Covid average, according to research conducted by Stanford and Northwestern in tandem with the Mastercard Economics Institute. The report attributes the surge to people working hybrid schedules or totally remote jobs, and shows that employees back in the office have reverted to their pre-pandemic pastimes.

The line that defines what kind of procrastination is acceptable blurs when we’re at home, and spending a little longer in the break room between tasks becomes scrolling through Amazon and Instagram boutiques and TikTok shops. Because what better way to break up the monotony of a workday than with the thrill of an impending package? At home, you don’t have to worry about looking like a fainéant in front of a coworker or higher-up looking over your shoulder.

Nick Bloom, a Stanford economist and co-author of the report, says that workday shopping is actually an efficient use of time. “People can’t just work continuously without taking a break,” he says, a sentiment echoed by Ace Bhattacharjya, a chief executive. Jenny Hirschey, owner of an Instagram jewelry boutique, says that 80% of her sales are placed during work hours. Bhattacharjya believes that diverting your attention every now and then can give you a boost of creativity and renew your energy.

And we love shopping ahead of the weekend. In the US, online spending peaks on Friday afternoons as people begin to wind down for a restful weekend.

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