Survey: Consumers haven’t forgotten Black Friday weekend
Retailers should not overlook the importance of Black Friday weekend this holiday season – especially those with an online presence.
According to a new survey of U.S. and European consumers from Publicis Sapient, more than eight in 10 U.S. respondents plans to shop at some point during the four-day period between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This includes 82% who will shop on Cyber Monday 76% who will shop on Black Friday, and 55% who plan to shop the entire weekend of Black Friday through Cyber Monday.
[Read more: Yup, Black Friday weekend still matters]
If retailers sell their products both online and in physical stores, 74% of U.S. respondents prefer to buy online during the holiday season; the most common reasons are to avoid crowds and they can shop around for the best deals. More than three-quarters (77%) of U.S. respondents plan to visit two to five online retailers during the Black Friday through Cyber Monday holiday shopping weekend
More than half (55%) of U.S. respondents agree or strongly agree that they sometimes go to a physical store to check out an item before purchasing online. For department stores specifically, 52% of U.S. respondents expect to make most of their department store purchases in physical stores.
Most U.S. respondents will purchase from the retailer that offers the best deal even if this is their first purchase with them (77%), rather than sticking with retailers they know or trust regardless of who has the best deal (23%). U.S. respondents indicate they are looking for discounts of at least 20% to persuade them to purchase an item over that holiday shopping weekend. Almost half (48%) of U.S. respondents expect the best deals to be available over the Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping weekend.
The survey also examined consumer attitudes toward potential problems associated with shopping during Black Friday weekend:
• 64% of U.S. respondents said they had a disappointing experience using a retailer’s website during Black Friday through Cyber Monday in 2020.
• 62% of U.S. respondents are very or somewhat concerned about not receiving their items in time for the holiday when they shop online for Black Friday through Cyber Monday this year.
• In the U.S., significantly fewer millennial consumers report that they did not need to return any items when compared to other generations during the Black Friday through Cyber Monday weekend in 2020.
In addition, the survey examined trends from Black Friday weekend 2020:
• 81% of U.S. respondents shopped with Amazon from Black Friday through Cyber Monday in 2020, and over half shopped at Walmart (58%). Target was next (46%), followed by Best Buy (41%).
• In the U.S., millennials are significantly more likely than are Gen X and baby boomers to have shopped at Costco, Gap, and Target during the Black Friday weekend in 2020.
• Over two-thirds (68%) of U.S. respondents who shopped with Amazon from Black Friday through Cyber Monday in 2020 report they are in an Amazon membership loyalty program.
Shopper data was collected through an online survey sent to 1,000 participants across France, Sweden, the U.S., and the U.K. in June 2021. Respondents are ages 18-65.