Consumers plan to shop early for summer items
More than half of consumers plan to shop for summer items in May and June — and some even earlier.
That’s according to a survey by customer-led marketing platform Optimove, which found that while 56% of consumers plan to shop for summer items in May and June, they are ready to act on related sales even earlier.
Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents said they want to know about sales by April, saying they are willing to act and buy, and 51% said an early sale could "sometimes and often" motivate them to buy.
The survey also revealed that getting consumers to spend more this summer will be a struggle. Less than a quarter of respondents (22%) will spend more than they did in the summer of 2022, 36% plan to spend less, and 42% will spend the same. Almost half of the respondents (47%) have less confidence in the economy for summer 2023 compared to 2022. One quarter has more confidence in the economy.
Other findings from the Optimove 2023 Consumer Summer Shopping Survey are below.
• The top items that respondents plan to buy are clothing (78%), swimwear (58%), home goods, and beauty products, each at (50%).
• The top motivators for consumer purchase are price 77% and quality 78%. A distant third is brand reputation at 28%.
• Consumers prefer to shop in-store for hard goods such as patio furniture and grills — and on the other extreme is travel, where the predominant purchasing is online.
• Seventy-nine percent of shoppers said that they check prices online when shopping in-store. It underscores that retailers need omnichannel capabilities.
• The top preference for consumer communication is e-mail, cited by 52% of respondents. As online retailers push for summer purchases, they must be sensitive to each consumer's preferences, advised Optimove, citing its 2023 survey on Marketing Fatigue in in which 66% of consumers said want fewer marketing messages, and 27% feel they get bombarded by marketing messages.
• Seventy-three percent of consumers will unsubscribe if they think a brand misused their personal information. Trust is the cornerstone of loyalty, according to Optimove. Respondents noted that trust is earned through word-of-mouth reputation by consumers reading online reviews or talking to friends.
“While consumers are eager to purchase summer items early, trust is paramount in getting them to act,” said Pini Yakuel, CEO and founder of Optimove. “Retailers should also be mindful of marketing fatigue and tailor their communication methods accordingly. Additionally, understanding product category preferences is essential in determining whether consumers prefer to shop online, in-store, or both. Ultimately, retailers must act as advisors first and sales machines second, offering guidance to consumers to build trust and loyalty."
The Optimove survey queried 400 U.S. citizens in March 2023. Respondents were 18-plus, 49% male/51% female (no respondents were non-binary or declined to answer) and household incomes were $75,000-plus.