Survey reveals shopping trends for the holiday season
While there are many people who don’t like to hear the ‘C’ word mentioned until at least the start of December, retailers will no doubt be keen to keep abreast of trends in holiday shopping ahead of the festive season.
A study from American Express, shared by Forbes, revealed that almost half (48%) of consumers have kicked off their holiday shopping earlier this year, rising to 63% among millennials. This is in part down to fears around product shortages and supply chain problems that could impact retailers in the weeks to come.
While Amex quizzed US consumers for its study, the results would no doubt be similar among Brit shoppers.
Stephanie Schultz, VP and head of emerging partnerships at Amex Digital Labs, said the data from the Amex Trendex “points to a more festive holiday season” compared to 2021, with consumers not only shopping earlier but also putting up decorations to get in the festive spirit.
So, what are people buying?
The survey results seem to indicate that health and wellbeing-related products remain a priority among shoppers. Almost three quarters (73%) of respondents told Amex that they wish to buy presents that will help the recipient de-stress.
The pandemic saw support for local shops surge – and this hasn’t gone away. In fact, 81% of those polled for the survey believe that it’s important to buy small gifts that support local and/or small businesses, and 72% said the same for decorations.
Sustainability is still front of mind for many consumers, too: over six in ten (63%) believe that it’s important to buy ethically sourced gifts and 56% said this of decorations. Similar percentages said that they are shopping for presents or decorations that are sustainable or limit their impact on the environment, at 64% and 61% respectively.
The results clearly indicate that people are ramping up the festive cheer this year. Almost half (48%) plan to get the decorations out earlier in order to feel merrier, while 51% are doing so to make their homes feel more festive as they plan to spend more time there than usual. Over half (52%) said they are looking forward to creating new Christmas traditions.
If you need any help perfecting your festive strategy, why not find out more about our services and solutions? Get in touch with our experts today: hello@thedeltagroup.com.
