Financial strain, global supply chain disruptions and labor and inventory shortages might make it harder for consumers to check off items on their holiday gift lists this season. But that doesn’t seem to be stopping shoppers from dropping cash this holiday season.
LendingTree is again covering Deloitte’s annual holiday retail survey. Earlier, we covered consumer sentiment. Today, we’ll focus on consumer behavior.
This portion of the survey from Deloitte, an accounting and consulting firm based in New York, reveals holiday shoppers plan to spend 62% of their expected holiday budget online, at an average of $924. They’ll spend 33% of their expected budget in stores, at an average of $440.
Consumers continue to lean on digital shopping platforms
U.S. consumers leaned toward online retailers and doorstep delivery for their shopping needs at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend is expected to continue this holiday season, though at a slightly smaller clip.
While consumers expect to spend 62% of their holiday budget online, that’s a slight dip from 64% last season. In-person shopping, meanwhile, is expected to see a 5 percentage point jump, from 28% in 2020 to 33% in 2021.
Consumers beware: ’Tis the season for online holiday shopping scams
So where exactly are consumers dropping cash for gifts this holiday season? Many respondents plan on shopping at mass merchants, online-only retailers and local independent stores, while dollar stores and outlet stores or centers will get the least action. Here’s the breakdown:
| At which of the following types of retailers will you likely shop for holiday gifts? | ||
| Type of retailer | 2021 | 2020 |
| Online-only retailers | 55% | 58% |
| Mass merchants | 51% | 50% |
| Local independent stores | 27% | 26% |
| Off-price stores | 26% | 24% |
| Traditional department stores | 26% | 26% |
| Warehouse membership clubs | 24% | 23% |
| Bookstores | 22% | 23% |
| Electronics, office supply and computer stores | 21% | 22% |
| Specialty beauty stores | 19% | 21% |
| Supermarkets or grocery stores | 19% | 26% |
| Home improvement stores | 18% | 21% |
| Pet products stores | 17% | 17% |
| Specialty arts and crafts retailer | 15% | 16% |
| Specialty clothing stores | 14% | 26% |
| Outlet stores or centers | 14% | 16% |
| Dollar stores | 13% | 16% |
More consumers returning to stores, but anxiety remains
As some pandemic-related anxiety eases, consumers are returning to stores — but not quite at the same frequency as pre-crisis levels.
This year, shoppers plan on visiting an average of 6.6 brick-and-mortar stores to buy gifts over the next several months, down from 7.0 in 2019 but up from 5.2 last year. But 40% still are anxious about shopping in-store due to coronavirus concerns, a high number despite being down from 51% a year prior.
Despite this return to in-store shopping, it’s a mixed bag regarding delivery services. Reliance on standard delivery is the preferred method (73%), followed by same-day or next-day delivery from a retailer (47%), in-store pickup on online orders (33%) and curbside pickup (21%).
Of interest, socially: This year, 28% of Deloitte respondents expect to use social media for holiday shopping, whether through research or purchases. This is a slight uptick from 26% a year ago. Among those veering toward social media platforms to inform their consumer choices, 56% used them to research products, 52% leveraged influencer-generated content and 28% used media that was “shoppable” to make a purchase.
3 categories of shoppers: Hopeful, prepared and conscious
Deloitte split survey respondents into three main consumer profiles:
- Hopeful (not as financially strong as the other consumer groups, but they’re hopeful about economic prospects; shops later in the season and for a shorter duration)
- Prepared (might have more money in their pockets, but they have greater skepticism about the state of the economy; not as nervous about shopping in-store and wants to get an early start)
- Conscious (both financially sound and optimistic about the economy; social media and sustainability influence spending choices)
| Key details on shopper types | ||
| Type | % of shoppers | Average expected spend |
| Hopeful | 36% | $1,437 |
| Prepared | 26% | $1,773 |
| Conscious | 17% | $2,228 |
To make this year’s holiday shopping adventures as painless as possible, consider clustering gifts you need to buy according to the retailer or method of delivery. That way, you can make fewer purchases and take advantage of free shipping when available.
If you’re minding your budget and want to avoid debt, try to spread out your shopping across a few months and scoop up deals, sales and discounts whenever possible. Consider tapping into cashback rewards on your credit cards to lower what you pay out of pocket for gifts.
Methodology
Deloitte commissioned a survey of 4,315 U.S. consumers, fielded Sept. 7-14, 2021. Our reporting focused solely on the consumer behavior portion of Deloitte’s survey.
This article originally appeared on LendingTree.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
More from MediaFeed:
Shopping online? Watch out for these scam red flags
The ads pop up on your Facebook newsfeed and your favorite online news websites, just enticing enough for you to click to find out more. With a troubled economy, plenty of companies are going out of business, so it may seem smart to save money on clothing or other retail goods if a retailer is throwing one last “going out of business” sale.
But what if that online ad offering huge discounts on designer clothing isn’t what it seems? The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker is getting more reports lately on self-proclaimed going-out-of-business sales “that either don’t exist or don’t live up to the hype,” according to the BBB.
“Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic is driving many retailers out of business,” says the BBB. “What’s bad for businesses often means sales for shoppers, but before you jump on deals, make sure you aren’t falling for a con.
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No one can know about every retailer in the world, but if you’re drawn to a clothing ad for a company you’ve never heard of, don’t be too quick to click the checkout button.
First, look up the company on the BBB website to see what kind of grade it maintains and read reviews. Also perform an online search for the company’s address and phone number to see information what pops up.
Related: 5 of the Weirdest Ways Charities are Raising Financial Aid for COVID-19
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In other words, the ad could be a scam or it could just as easily be legit. Always do your online research before purchasing, since some scammers will mail poor-quality clothing or products. “Other times, scammers never intend to send you anything at all,” says the BBB.
AntonioGuillem/istockphoto
If you see an outfit or product you love at a great price, it’s a good idea to read reviews of the item first to gauge overall buyer satisfaction. If you see review after review obviously written in a way no native English speaker would talk – “all retail happy shop experience,” for example – be careful.
Those reviews could be planted by the scammer company to reassure you that it is legitimate.
Related: Could You Be a Target of a COVID-19 Extortion Scam?
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When you put the company’s name in a search engine and three pages of consumer rip-off complaints appear in the results, don’t even bother researching that company further. Those people writing bad reviews are warning you to stay away to avoid your own bad experience.
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The BBB recommends double-checking the retailer’s website address to make sure scammers haven’t directed you to an “imitation site” that looks like the legitimate retailer’s website.
Signs of a possible copycat website include a URL with extra words or characters, a foreign domain address or unusual domains such as those that end with unfamiliar words such as “bargain” or “app,” according to AARP.
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Don’t even think about purchasing from and providing your credit card number to an online retailer whose web address doesn’t begin with “https://,” which signals that your credit or debit card information is secure. Also make sure the address has a lock icon on the purchase page.
This article by Deb Hipp originally appeared on Debt.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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