Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Deals influence consumers’ shopping decisions
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- Figure 1: Holiday shopping research and planning and preferences toward winter holiday shopping, June 2017
- Retailers can’t rely on shoppers’ loyalty during the holidays
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- Figure 2: Attitudes toward holiday shopping, June 2017
- The opportunities
- Encouraging consumers to spend more for certain holidays
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- Figure 3: Changes in planned holiday spending, June 2017
- Extending the holiday season
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- Figure 4: Attitudes and preferences toward winter holiday shopping, June 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- A healthy market likely means a healthy holiday
- Favorable factors lead to increased consumer confidence
Market Size
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- Positive sales expected for 2017 holidays
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- Figure 5: Total US retail sales* in November and December, at current prices, 2007-17
- Figure 6: Total US retail sales* in November and December as a share of total annual retail sales, 2007-17
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- Figure 7: Anticipated winter holiday expenditures, in current dollars, 2011-16
Market Factors
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- Economic factors paint an optimistic picture for holiday spending
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- Figure 8: Consumer Sentiment Index, May 2016-May 2017
- Living situations may impact holiday celebrations
- An increase in multicultural population could lead to diversified holiday traditions
- Online shopping affects consumer expectation
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- Figure 9: Personal and household device ownership, January 2017
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Amazon dominates the holidays
- Dollar stores overlooked
- Extending the holiday season
What’s Working?
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- Extending deals to maximize holiday shopping period
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- Figure 10: Amazon email campaign, July 2017
- Figure 11: Express email campaign, January 2017
- Figure 12: Sephora email campaign, January 2017
- Amazon and mass merchandisers favored for holiday shopping
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- Figure 13: Planned retailers to shop, June 2017
What’s Struggling?
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- Shipping increases could deter some shoppers
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- Figure 14: Preferences toward holiday shopping, by gender and age, June 2017
- As other channels get competitive, dollar stores are at risk
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- Figure 15: Select retailers planned to shop, June 2017
What’s Next?
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- Rethinking the traditional holiday shopping time frame
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- Figure 16: Preferences toward winter holiday shopping, by select demographics, June 2017
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Exchanging gifts and attending or hosting events are top traditions
- Consumers plan to increase shopping at most retailers
- Shoppers are budgeting and researching holiday purchases
- Finding the right gift outranks price for most consumers
Changes in Planned Holiday Spending
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- Most consumers plan to spend more or have no change in spending
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- Figure 17: Changes in planned winter holiday spending, by holiday, June 2017
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- Figure 18: Changes in planned winter holiday spending, by holiday, June 2017
- Men plan to spend more on winter holidays
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- Figure 19: Changes in planned winter holiday spending, by gender and age, June 2017
- Many consumers are celebrating New Year’s, but not spending
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- Figure 20: Changes in planned winter holiday spending, by age, June 2017
- Urban, young consumers plan to increase Thanksgiving spending
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- Figure 21: Changes in planned winter holiday spending, by select demographics, June 2017
- Hispanics more likely to increase spending
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- Figure 22: Changes in planned winter holiday spending, by Hispanic origin and generation, June 2017
Holiday Traditions
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- Gift exchange is top tradition
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- Figure 23: Holiday traditions, by gender and age, June 2017
- Attending and hosting are equally important
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- Figure 24: Holiday traditions, by age and household income, June 2017
- Preferences for other traditions varies
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- Figure 25: Holiday traditions – Select traditions, June 2017
- Cultural differences influence traditions
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- Figure 26: Holiday traditions, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2017
- Thoughts on traditions
2016 Winter Holiday Purchases
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- Clothing/footwear and gift cards are top holiday purchases
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- Figure 27: Winter holiday 2016 purchases, June 2017
- Younger women drive clothing/footwear purchases
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- Figure 28: Winter holiday 2016 purchases, by gender and age, June 2017
- Age and income influence purchases
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- Figure 29: Winter holiday 2016 purchases, by age and household income, June 2017
- Those who are hosting are driving food and beverage purchases
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- Figure 30: Winter 2016 holiday purchases, by select demographics, June 2017
- Women, parents more likely to purchase decorations
- Thoughts on holiday decorations
- Parents are still buying toys
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- Figure 31: Winter 2016 holiday purchases, by parental status by age of children, June 2017
- Hispanics are key consumers for other holiday purchases
Planned Retail Channels
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- Amazon and mass merchandisers are preferred for holiday shopping
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- Figure 32: Planned retailers to shop, June 2017
- Preference for Amazon and mass merchandisers span age groups
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- Figure 33: Select retailers planned to shop, by age, June 2017
- Women plan to visit department stores and clothing stores
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- Figure 34: Retailers planned to shop, by select demographics, June 2017
- Parents prefer warehouse clubs at holidays
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- Figure 35: Planned retailers to shop, by parental status, June 2017
Holiday Shopping Research and Planning
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- Most consumers are budgeting and researching their holiday shopping
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- Figure 36: Holiday shopping research and planning, June 2017
- Younger generations use tech to plan their shopping
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- Figure 37: Holiday shopping research and planning, by generation, June 2017
- Parents plan to save during holiday shopping
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- Figure 38: Holiday shopping research and planning, by parental status, June 2017
- Regardless of household income level, all holiday shoppers look for ways to save
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- Figure 39: Holiday shopping research and planning, by age and household income, June 2017
- Approach to gift shopping
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- Figure 40: Holiday shopping research and planning, by age, June 2017
- Thoughts on holiday shopping
Preferences toward Winter Holiday Shopping
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- Deals on pricing and shipping influence where to shop
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- Figure 41: Preferences for holiday shopping, June 2017
- Younger shoppers most likely to shop on Cyber Monday and Black Friday
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- Figure 42: Preferences for holiday shopping, by age, June 2017
- Women prefer to plan ahead
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- Figure 43: Preferences toward winter holiday shopping, by gender and age, June 2014
- Hispanic consumers not as concerned with deals and shipping
- In their own words
Attitudes toward Holiday Shopping
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- The internet has changed consumers’ holiday shopping
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- Figure 44: Attitudes toward holiday shopping, June 2017
- Finding the right gift is more important than price and convenience
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- Figure 45: Attitudes toward holiday shopping, by household income, June 2017
- Holiday shopping equals a break from routine for some shoppers
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- Figure 46: Attitudes toward holiday shopping, by gender and age, June 2017
- Hispanics are more traditional in their shopping
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 47: Total US retail sales* in November and December, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2007-17
- Figure 48: Unemployment and underemployment, January 2007-May 2017
- Figure 49: Median household income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2005-15
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- Figure 50: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2012-22
- Figure 51: Number of households, by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2006 and 2016
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- Figure 52: Median age at first marriage, by gender, 2006-16
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