Over 80% of consumers intend to shop online for at least some of their holiday purchases.
Chicago According to a Circana research, almost three-quarters of customers say they want to purchase online this year, making it the preferred method of Christmas shopping.
Eighty-three percent of holiday shoppers said they want to purchase Christmas gifts online this season, according to the most recent Holiday Purchase Intentions report. Not all of those 83 percent, though, want to only shop online. The survey states that 74 percent of customers intend to buy gifts both online and in-store, while 16 percent only expect to shop in-store. These figures are marginally higher than those from the previous year, which may indicate that consumers are moving toward a more balanced shopping experience.
“This holiday shopping season, there is an intriguing dance between e-commerce and physical retail as consumers prioritize convenience and value,” stated Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor at Circana. “To optimize their spending capacity and overall shopping experience, holiday shoppers will be using all available channels and resources more than ever before.”
However, it appears that this year’s holiday shopping will mostly be done online. Nearly one-third of consumers stated that they would rather purchase as many presents online as possible. Some customers find that shopping online makes delivery easier; 42% of respondents indicate they intend to shop online in order to ship their purchases straight to friends and family.
However, research is still being done by customers who aren’t making purchases online. Customers want to conduct research and compare prices before making any selections, particularly during the holiday season when Black Friday discounts are rife. Before visiting a physical store, nearly one-third of holiday shoppers said they prefer to compare costs online.
Once highly sought-after through long lineups and wild situations, those classic Black Friday offers are also moving online. Black Friday has been the most popular November shopping day, both in-store and online, for the last two years.
Cohen continued, “Retailers must adjust to the changing preferences and increasing proficiency of consumers as the peak holiday shopping period approaches.” “Retailers that operate in both areas will need to have a smooth cross-channel experience; those that don’t must figure out how to offset the main advantages of their rivals or risk missing out on the growth prospects presented by this holiday season.”
