Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
-
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- Anticipated spending increasing for holidays year-round
-
- Figure 1: Share of total anticipated spend on each holiday, 2011
- Figure 2: Change in anticipated expenditures, by holiday, 2009 vs. 2011
- Market factors
- Increasing consumer confidence paves the way for holiday shopping
-
- Figure 3: U.S. consumer sentiment, March 2007-May 2012
- Young consumers’ economic positioning doesn’t match that of the country overall
- Non-whites’ spending power on the rise
-
- Figure 4: Change in population by race and Hispanic origin, 2011 vs. 2016
- The consumer
- Consumers participating in holidays year-round, mainly during the winter
-
- Figure 5: Seasonal holiday activities participated in and mean number of activities, February-March 2012
- Millennials celebrating winter, spring holidays with gift making
-
- Figure 6: Seasonal holiday gift making, by generation, February-March 2012
- Holiday purchasing aligns with consumers’ tendencies to participate in activities
-
- Figure 7: Seasonal holiday purchasing incidence and mean number of purchases, February-March 2012
- Youngest consumers the most inclined to increase holiday event and gift spending
-
- Figure 8: Holiday event and gift spending increases compared to last year, by age, February-March 2012
- Black Friday sales have the most draw, young shoppers especially enthusiastic
-
- Figure 9: Holiday shopping events/promotions participated in, by age, February-March 2012
- Shoppers want online convenience, in-store product interaction
-
- Figure 10: Opinions about in-store vs. online shopping, February-March 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
-
- Are retailers responding to holiday shoppers’ changing demographics?
- Can online holiday shopping be both convenient and informative?
- What more can be done to minimize shopping event congestion?
Insights and Opportunities
-
- Key points
- Holiday shopping event lotteries
- Video product demonstrations and testimonials for online retailers
Inspire Insights
-
- Inspire Trend: Carnivore, Herbivore…Locavore
- Inspire Trend: FSTR and HYPR
Anticipated Market Expenditures
-
- Key points
- Gains in economic stability translate to holiday shopping growth
- Consumers’ anticipated holiday spend
-
- Figure 11: Anticipated expenditures by holiday, non-winter holidays and winter holidays retail sales, 2009 and 2011
Market Drivers
-
- Key points
- Growing consumer confidence encourages holiday shopping
-
- Figure 12: U.S. consumer sentiment, March 2007-May 2012
- Youngest consumers not on stable economic ground, but still shopping
- Non-whites’ spending power may lead to more active role in the holidays
-
- Figure 13: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2006-16
Segment Performance—Holiday Spending by Occasion
-
- Key points
- Valentine’s Day
-
- Figure 14: Anticipated Valentine’s Day expenditures, 2007-12
- Figure 15: Anticipated purchases for Valentine’s Day, by category, 2007-12
-
- Figure 16: Average anticipated Valentine’s Day expenditures, by recipient, 2012
- St. Patrick’s Day
-
- Figure 17: Anticipated St. Patrick’s Day expenditures, 2007-12
- Easter
-
- Figure 18: Anticipated Easter Expenditures, 2007-12
- Figure 19: Anticipated Easter expenditures, by category, March 2012
- Mother’s Day
-
- Figure 20: Anticipated Mother’s Day expenditures, 2007-12
- Figure 21: Anticipated Mother’s Day expenditures, by category, 2012
- Father’s Day
-
- Figure 22: Anticipated Father’s Day expenditures, 2007-2012
- Figure 23: Anticipated Father’s Day expenditures, by category, 2012
- Halloween
-
- Figure 24: Anticipated Halloween expenditures, 2006-11
- Figure 25: Anticipated Halloween expenditures, by category, 2011
- Winter holidays
- Total winter holiday retail sales
-
- Figure 26: Total “winter holiday” retail sales, 2006-11
- Winter holiday gift vs. other item sales
-
- Figure 27: Anticipated holiday expenditures for selected items, 2006-2011
Innovations and Innovators
-
- Key points
- Shopping made easier, and better planned, via mobile apps
- Milo Local Shopping gives advance glimpse at item price and availability
- Buzzillions provides shoppers with mobile product reviews
- Shoppers get instant rewards with Shopkick
- Walmart uses Facebook to offer shoppers Black Friday store maps
-
- Figure 28: Walmart store map for Black Friday shopping, November 2011
- Themed online party retailer gives creative spin to holiday gatherings
-
- Figure 29: UglyChristmasSweaterParty.com sweater and book, June 2012
- Online retailer promotes holiday gift giving to pets
-
- Figure 30: Poochieheaven.com holiday-themed gifts for dogs, June 2012
Marketing Strategies
-
- Key points
- Winter holiday advertising
- Winter holiday TV ads
- Walmart—A Community as One
-
- Figure 31: Walmart “A Community as one” TV ad, February 2012
- Hallmark—Love You Lots
-
- Figure 32: Hallmark “Love You Lots” TV ad, April 2012
- Bashas’—Holiday Time
-
- Figure 33: Bashas’ “Holiday Time” TV ad, November 2011
- 3M—Ice Wrap
-
- Figure 34: 3M “Ice Wrap” TV ad, November 2011
- Toys“R”Us interactive mobile shopping
-
- Figure 35: Toys“R”Us interactive mobile shopping billboards December 2011
- Spring holiday advertising
- Spring holiday TV ads
- Kellogg’s—The Family Treats
-
- Figure 36: Kellogg’s “The Family Treats” TV ad, April 2012
- 1-800-Flowers.com—Sure to Delight
-
- Figure 37: 1-800-Flowers.com “Sure to Delight” TV ad, May 2012
- Memorial Day print and email promotions
-
- Figure 38: Calhoun’s Memorial Day print ad, May 2012
- Figure 39: Best Buy Memorial Day email promotion, May 2011
- Father’s Day email LISTSERV promotions
-
- Figure 40: First Watch Father’s Day email promotion, June 2012
- Figure 41: Novica Father’s Day email promotion, June 2012
- Summer holiday advertising
- Fourth of July print ads
-
- Figure 42: Sleep Train Mattress Centers Fourth of July print ad, June 2012
- Labor Day TV ad
- Bill Smith Electronics & Appliances—Labor Day sale
-
- Figure 43: Bill Smith Electronics & Appliances “Labor Day sale” TV ad, September 2011
Participation in Holiday Activities
-
- Key points
- Most participating in holidays year-round, winter events have most draw
-
- Figure 44: Seasonal holiday participation and mean number of activities, February-March 2012
- Seasonal holiday activity participation
- Christmas events, party-going most popular winter holiday activities
-
- Figure 45: Participation in specific activities for each winter holiday, February-March 2012
- Springtime holidays involve celebratory meals, Mother’s Day the most popular
-
- Figure 46: Participation in specific activities for each spring holiday, February-March 2012
- Consumers doing less to celebrate summer, fall holidays
-
- Figure 47: Participation in specific activities for each summer and fall holiday, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 48: The TomKat Studio’s 4th of July Party Kit, May 2012
- General holiday activity participation
- Millennials, parents the most enthusiastic about celebrating holidays
-
- Figure 49: Participation in seasonal holiday activities and mean number of activities, by generation and by parental status and presence of children in household, February-March 2012
- More Millennials making holiday gifts
-
- Figure 50: Seasonal holiday gift making, by generation, February-March 2012
Holiday Purchases
-
- Key points
- Most shopping activity occurring during the winter holidays
-
- Figure 51: Seasonal holiday purchases, February-March 2012
- Seasonal holiday purchases
- Christmas gifts, cuisine driving wintertime holiday purchases
-
- Figure 52: Types of purchases made for each winter holiday, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 53: Christmas gift and food purchases, by gender and by parental status and presence of children in household, February-March 2012
- Spring holiday shoppers buying gifts for moms and dads
-
- Figure 54: Types of purchases made for each spring holiday, February-March 2012
- Independence Day food, alcohol a summertime draw
-
- Figure 55: Types of purchases made for each summer holiday, February-March 2012
- Halloween shoppers looking for festive food, decorations
-
- Figure 56: Halloween purchases, February-March 2012
- General holiday purchases
- More than four in 10 giving gift cards
-
- Figure 57: Purchased a gift card for self or someone else in the last 12 months, October 2009-November 2011
- Figure 58: Types of gift cards purchased in the last 12 months, December 2010 and November 2011
-
- Figure 59: Bloomingdale’s “little brown card” and Anthropologie “critter-covered” gift card, June 2012
- Consumer holiday spending remains constant, two in 10 to spend more on events
-
- Figure 60: Changes in 2012 holiday spending vs. 2011, by type of spend, February-March 2012
- More young consumers, parents planning to increase spending on events and gifts
-
- Figure 61: Spending increases on holiday events and gifts, by age and by parental status and presence of children in household, February-March 2012
Holiday Shopping Events and Promotions
-
- Key points
- More than four in 10 shopping on Black Friday, youngest participating most
-
- Figure 62: Participation in Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and day after Christmas events/promotions, by age and by parental status and presence of children in household, February-March 2012
- Crowds, long lines dissuading more participation in shopping events
-
- Figure 63: Avoiding stores on Black Friday and the day after Christmas, by gender, February-March 2012
- Shoppers who take advantage of federal holiday sales see advertisements
-
- Figure 64: Advertising noticed for federal holiday sales and promotions, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 65: Federal holiday sales taken advantage of, by federal holiday sales ads seen, February-March 2012
Attitudes Toward Holiday Media and Advertisements
-
- Key points
- Current holiday advertising lacks appeal—but drives purchasing
-
- Figure 66: Opinions about media and in-store advertisements during the holidays, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 67: Samsung interactive bus stop billboard, Chicago, June 2012
- In-store displays, advertising speak to women shoppers
-
- Figure 68: Opinions about media and in-store advertisements during the holidays, by gender, February-March 2012
Attitudes Toward Holiday Online and Mobile Shopping
-
- Key points
- Shoppers go online for convenience, but want to interact with products
-
- Figure 69: Opinions about in-store vs. online shopping, February-March 2012
- More Millennials find convenience in smartphone shopping
-
- Figure 70: Opinions about making holiday purchases with a smartphone, by generation, February-March 2012
Impact of Race and Hispanic Origin
-
- Key points
- Hispanics more likely to celebrate by eating at restaurants, making gifts
-
- Figure 71: Seasonal holiday participation in select activities and mean number of activities, by Hispanic origin, February-March 2012
- More non-whites increasing spending on holiday gifts, events
-
- Figure 72: Expectation to increase spending on holiday events vs. gifts, by race/Hispanic origin, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 73: Household size, by race/Hispanic origin of householder, 2010
- More non-whites participating in Black Friday, post-Christmas sales events
-
- Figure 74: Holiday shopping events/promotions participation, by race/Hispanic origin, February-March 2012
- Asians lead non-whites in use of holiday ads and displays
-
- Figure 75: Opinions about media and in-store advertisements during the holidays, by race/Hispanic origin, February-March 2012
- Asians, Hispanics want to see, touch holiday products before they buy
-
- Figure 76: Preference to holiday shop in store to allow seeing/touching products, by race and Hispanic origin, February-March 2012
Cluster Analysis
-
- Bargain Hunting In-store Shoppers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cyber Shoppers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Diverse and Enthusiastic Shoppers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Ad-ambivalent Shoppers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Holiday Avoiders
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristics
-
- Figure 77: Holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
- Figure 78: Participation in specific activities for winter holidays and mean number of activities, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 79: Participation in specific activities for spring holidays and mean number of activities, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
- Figure 80: Participation in specific activities for summer holidays and mean number of activities, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 81: Participation in specific activities for fall holidays and mean number of activities, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
- Figure 82: Opinions about media and in-store advertisements during the holidays, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 83: Participation in Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Day-After-Christmas events/promotions, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
- Figure 84: Opinions about holiday sales and promotions, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
-
- Figure 85: Opinions about online and mobile shopping during the holidays, by holiday shopping clusters, February-March 2012
- Cluster demographics
-
- Figure 86: Profile of holiday shopping clusters, by gender, age, and household income, February-March 2012
- Figure 87: Profile of holiday shopping clusters, by race/Hispanic origin, February-March 2012
- Figure 88: Profile of holiday shopping clusters, by marital status, household size, and presence of children in household, February-March 2012
- Figure 89: Profile of holiday shopping clusters, by employment status, February-March 2012
- Cluster methodology
Appendix—Other Useful Consumer Tables
-
- Participation in holiday activities
-
- Figure 90: Mean number of holiday activities participated in, by race/Hispanic origin, February-March 2012
- Holiday purchases
-
- Figure 91: Household income distribution, by race/Hispanic origin of householder, 2010
- Holiday shopping events and promotions
-
- Figure 92: Participation in online vs. in store Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and day after Christmas events/promotion, February-March 2012
- Attitudes toward holiday media and advertisements
-
- Figure 93: Interesting receiving emails from retailers with special holiday sales and promotions, February-March 2012
- Attitudes toward holiday online and mobile shopping
-
- Figure 94: Attitudes toward holiday online and mobile shopping, February-March 2012
Appendix: Trade Associations
Back to top