How much holiday shopping has shifted online? Quite a bit, new report says
The majority of shoppers plan to do most – if not all – of their holiday shopping online this year, according to a new report from Circana.
CHICAGO – Online shopping is the way to go this holiday season, according to a report from Circana, with more than three quarters of consumers saying they plan to do holiday shopping online this year.
In the latest Holiday Purchase Intentions report, 83 percent of holiday shoppers revealed they plan to buy holidays gifts online this season. However, not everyone in that 83 percent plans to exclusively shop online. According to the report, 74 percent of shoppers have plans to purchase gifts both online and in-store, while 16 percent plan to exclusively shop in-store – both stats increasingly slightly from last year in what could be a sign consumers are shifting to more of a balanced shopping experience.
“Convenience and value are paramount for consumers, creating an interesting dance between e-commerce and physical retail this holiday shopping season,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor for Circana. “More than ever, holiday shoppers will be utilizing all shopping channels and resources to maximize their spending ability and overall shopping experience.”
But it does seem that the majority of holiday shopping will be done online this year. Close to one-third of shoppers said they prefer to get as many gifts online as possible. For some consumers, online shopping provides an ease of delivery – 42 percent say they are planning to shop online so they can ship it directly to family and friends.
Even consumers who aren’t purchasing online are still researching, though. Especially during the holiday season when Black Friday deals are flying around, consumers like to research and do price comparisons before making any decisions. Nearly one-third of holiday shoppers indicated they like to compare prices online before heading to a physical store.
Those traditional Black Friday deals, once highly sought-after through long lines and crazy experiences, are shifting online, too. For the past two years, Black Friday has ranked as the top shopping day in November both in-store and online.
“As the peak holiday shopping period approaches, retailers must adapt to the evolving preferences and growing proficiency of consumers,” added Cohen. “A seamless cross-channel experience will be critical for retailers that play in both spaces, and those that don’t need to find ways to counteract the top benefits of their competition or risk losing out on this holiday’s growth opportunities.”
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