As the holiday season approaches, a recent survey by First Insight, Inc. found that 56 percent of consumers have already begun their holiday shopping. While 48 percent of consumers overall are concerned about shipment delays and items not arriving on time, Millennials in particular (60 percent) were the most concerned compared to Baby Boomers (39 percent), Generation X (49 percent), and Generation Z (46 percent).
Furthermore, with the U.S. continuing to see rising cases of COVID-19 countrywide, 80 percent of consumers said they plan to shop both online and in-store this holiday season, compared to only 20 percent planning to shop only in-store. First Insight also found a 70-percent increase in the number of consumers planning to utilize curbside pickup this holiday season (34 percent) compared to last year (20 percent). The survey of more than 1,000 consumers was fielded on November 10th.
“With consumers worried about shipping delays and their gifts arriving on time this holiday season, retailers have an opportunity to address these concerns by bridging the gap between online and in-store,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight. “By implementing next-gen experience management and delivering a true omnichannel approach, retailers can enable their customers to buy online and pickup in-store and utilize curbside pickup. In anticipation of increased holiday purchasing, they may even want to consider repurposing dark stores as pickup hubs heading into the holidays which guarantees products in-hand while also offering the customer an enhanced product and brand experience. Putting purchases in the hands of consumers quickly and conveniently can be a big differentiator this holiday season, and pull consumers away from Amazon if and when they realize their items may not arrive on-time.”
For a deeper look at the data, download First Insight’s infographic here. Additional findings include:
- Consumers are more likely to buy apparel and footwear this holiday season. A quarter of respondents said they do not plan to buy luxury, followed by beauty (19 percent), home improvement (18 percent) and home décor (15 percent) this holiday season. In contrast, only 7 percent said they are not planning to purchase apparel this holiday season, with 11 percent saying the same for footwear.
- Consumers report feeling comfortable shopping in most store formats; less so in shopping malls. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they feel unsafe or very unsafe when shopping in malls compared to 10 percent for grocery stores, 14 percent for drug stores and big box retailers, 15 percent for local small businesses, and 16 percent for department stores and warehouse clubs.
Methodology
The new findings were revealed as part of First Insight’s ongoing series of consumer sentiment studies entitled, “The Impact of Coronavirus on Consumer Purchase Decisions and Behaviors.” Now publishing the eighth study in the series, the company has been tracking consumer data since February 28, 2020, fielding additional studies on March 17, April 3, April 20, April 30, July 10, September 4, and November 10, 2020. The findings are based on the results of U.S. consumer studies of targeted samples of more than 500 or 1,000 respondents each per survey, balanced by gender, geography and generation. Studies are completed using proprietary sample sources among panels who participate in online surveys. Further details on the findings are available upon request.
About First Insight, Inc.
First Insight is one of the world’s leading Experience Management (XM) platforms that empowers companies to significantly incorporate the Voice of the Customer into the design, pricing, planning and marketing of products and service offerings. Through the use of online consumer engagement tools, the First Insight platform gathers real-time consumer data and applies predictive analytic models to create actionable insights to power decisions which drive measurable value. Customers include some of the world’s leading vertically integrated brands, sporting goods companies, department stores, consumer products companies, mass merchant retailers and wholesalers. For further information, please visit www.firstinsight.com.
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