Survey: Nine-in-10 holiday shoppers not finished

Austin, Texas – Nine-in-10 (87%) holiday shoppers surveyed still have presents to buy. Recent surveys by RetailMeNot and The Omnibus Company found that nearly 200 million Americans have not completed their holiday shopping.



Nearly nine-in-10 (88%) winter holiday shoppers surveyed said they have had to buy gifts in the 11th hour. Parents seem to be the biggest procrastinators, as nearly all (95%) parents surveyed admitted to waiting until the last minute to buy holiday gifts.



Since the majority of holiday shoppers (64%) surveyed have had to pay for expedited shipping when purchasing a last-minute gift online, it's expected that this charge did not factor into the original budget for many. In fact, nearly two in five (38%) who have reported that they have had to pay for expedited shipping have gone beyond their holiday budget because of these costs.



However, according to the survey, more than one in four (27%) online shoppers would not purchase a product online without free shipping. This is an increasingly important promotional offer considering seven in 10 gift givers surveyed felt that shopping online takes less time (70%), is more convenient (69%) and is less stressful (69%) than shopping in-store. Nine-in-10 (90%) consumers consider free shipping to be important when purchasing a product online. When shopping online, nearly two-in-three (65%) consumers will search for a free shipping coupon if they see they have to pay for shipping. More than one in four (27%) online shoppers would not purchase a product without free shipping.



In addition, respondents found some of the most stressful parts of holiday shopping to be caused by in-store troubles: lines at in-store checkouts (53%) and crowded stores (40%) rank high on their list of holiday pressures. What's more, three in five (60%) winter holiday gift-givers feel that it is easier to find deals online than in-store when shopping for presents.



"Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, but the majority of shoppers still have gifts to purchase," said Trae Bodge, senior editor of The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.