Holiday shopping this year will be quite different!

Philippe Hugron • August 12, 2020

PEOPLE WILL DISCOVER AND BUY ONLINE EVEN MORE

Walmart and major retailers will close stores this Thanksgiving 2020 : https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/27/target-joins-walmart-in-staying-closed-for-thanksgiving-this-year.html
More than a third of U.S. shoppers who normally shop in store for Black Friday say they won't this year.*
Half of U.S. shoppers say the pandemic will affect how they'll shop for the holidays this year.*
The holidays are a traditionally heavy online-shopping season. Last year, 78% of U.S. holiday shoppers used three or more channels to do their holiday shopping, and 58% of shopper-reported purchases were made online. This year, we expect those numbers will grow, as almost 75% of U.S. shoppers who plan to shop this season said they will shop online more for the holidays than they did in previous seasons, and a similar number said they would browse for gift ideas online and not in store.*

WHAT ARE CONSUMERS EXPECTING?

Make sure your online presence is ready to meet the needs of consumers.

When people do shop in store, they plan ahead and research online
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Prior to the pandemic, the in-store shopping experience often began long before shoppers arrived at a store. This is even more true today, as availability and local convenience has become a priority. In fact, 67% of shoppers said they plan to confirm online that an item is in stock before going to buy it. Plus, searches for "available near me" have grown globally by more than 100% since last year, underscoring the importance of accurate inventory information.*
People will seek safer, digitized ways of shopping in store.
When shoppers do decide they're willing to shop in store, it's no surprise that safety is a key concern. This means what's considered "in-store" shopping may look different this year, as alternatives like curbside pickup and contactless buying become the norm. As proof, 53% of shoppers that plan to shop this season said they'll choose to shop at stores that offer contactless shopping. And 47% of planned shoppers said they'll use options to buy online, pickup in store/curbside pickup.*
Our research found that 70% of shoppers said they intend to plan their shopping earlier to avoid crowds, and 80% of planned shoppers will consolidate their shopping to make fewer trips than they did in previous years.*