The Seasonal Shopper 2024
Top Things You Need to Know
Though shoppers felt the (financial) pinch in the 2023 holiday shopping season, they were still spending…
The majority of Americans shopped this past holiday season, and almost half participated in major shopping holidays
%
shopped this past holiday season
%
shopped Black Friday
%
shopped Cyber Monday
While shoppers were excited to ‘treat’ loved ones, they felt the pinch when it came to time and money.
Sentiments around holiday shopping in 2023
THE GOOD π: Excitement to shop for loved ones
βTis the season of giving so this is my favorite time of the year! I love giving. it makes my entire soul so warm.β
β Millennial, Female, South
βI enjoy shopping for myself and others. It makes me feel good seeing all the holiday decorations and hearing the Christmas music. I love seeing people happy when there is so much trouble in our world. I like to give as well as receive- it also means our family will be together soon.β
β Millennial, Male, Midwest
THE BAD π: Exhausting and (financially) stressful
βWith a busy lifestyle, shopping for Christmas becomes a chore. Itβs a race to the finish to get the job done.Β Balancing daily work with the Christmas holidays is always a challenge.β
β Gen X, Male, South
βMost things feel unaffordable. Things I can get for my loved ones are little, cheap knick knacks at best so it doesn’t feel worthwhile. I’m working as much as I can, but it doesn’t feel like enough to afford things. It makes me want to avoid shopping since there’s so much out of my budget.β
β Gen Z, Male, West
Nevertheless, nearly two-thirds report maintaining or increasing their holiday spend year-over-year.
Holiday spending vs. 2022
What they spent money onΒ
%
Gifts for others
%
Items for myself
%
Seasonal food / drink
%
Items for my home / household
Top categories shopped
- Clothes ππ 59%
- Food / Non-alcoholic drinks ππ₯€ 49%
- Toys πͺ 41%
- Gift cards π³ 40%
- Homewares πͺ 39%
- Alcohol πΎ 35%
- Accessories πΆοΈ 32%
- Pet supplies ππ 31%
- Beauty / skin products π 30%
- Books π 29%
- Electronics π 29%
Shopping was channel-agnostic, speaking to the need for retailers to win over shoppers both online and in-store.
%
shopped in-store
%
shopped online for delivery
%
bought online for in-store pickup
%
Shopped BOTH online & in-store this holiday season
Majority of shopping was done..
(Among those who shopped online & in-store)
- Online π± 46%
- In-store π¬ 29%
- Equally online and in-store π±π¬ 25%
Shoppers leveraged digital and brick & mortar to browse & research
Top sources for browsing
%
Online marketplaces
%
Online search engine
%
Stores
%
Online Reviews
%
Retailer websites
The majority shopped in some way that blends physical and digital.
Phygital touchpoints along the shopper journey
- Used self-checkout 66%
- Browsed online, purchased in-store 47%
- Browsed in-store, purchased online 34%
- Used retailer app while in-store 31%
- Received text notifications from retailers 30%
- Used digital wallet to pay in-store 30%
- Browsed retailer website while in-store 28%
Retailers and brands have the opportunity to meet shoppers’ need for inspiration during the holidays
Brands and retailers can inspire shoppersβ decisions related to gifts, food/beverages, and entertainment.
%
of shoppers looked for inspiration over the holidays
Top sources of inspiration
- Social Media π± 72%
- Family & Friends π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ 56%
- Online marketplace π 52%
- Stores πͺ 42%
- Food / Recipe blogs π₯ 39%
- Movies / TV πΏ 37%
- Retailer websites π» 33%
Retailers and brands might explore opportunities to leverage AI to aid in inspiration-seeking.
Consideration of AI for holiday inspiration
%
Have used AI for inspiration
%
Would use AI for inspiration
%
Might use AI for inspiration
%
Would not use AI for inspiration
What they might use AI for…
- Gift ideas π 59%
- Recipe suggestions π 48%
- Music / playlist curation πΌ 37%
- Recos based on past purchases β 35%
- Greeting card messages π 34%
- Creating shopping lists π 33%
- Holiday decor ideas π 28%
- Development of art / graphics π¨ 28%
- Event planning π 23%
What does this mean for brands and retailers?
Get in touch with Reach3 Insights to learn how conversational can be applied to your seasonal objectives.
What’s this all about?
The way we shop is changing rapidly, and the line between online and brick-and-mortar is increasingly blurry.
Reach3 Insights asked our clients and other insights professionals to tell us whatβs been on their minds when it comes to βphygitalβ retail.
We leveraged those questions, Rival Tech, and our conversational approach to engage with shoppers in the thick of the holiday season to understand the touchpoints that are important to them.
Weβll be sharing our learnings over the next few weeks.
Research Details:
N=1,005 American adults who shopped over the holiday season
Fielded December 6-13, 2023
Curious to know more?
Use the Contact button below to get in touch or email…
Dara St. Louis π§Β dara.stlouis@reach3insights.com
Christine Nguyen π§Β christine.nguyen@reach3insights.com
www.reach3insights.com
info@reach3insights.com // SMS: (833) 4Reach3 // Phone: (833) 4Reach3