Survey: Online holiday shopping intentions continue to rise
Although online shopping is gaining favor with holiday shoppers, many plan to shop in-store as well.
A wide majority (86%) of holiday shoppers plan to do some online shopping for gifts this year, while 14% are planning to do all of their shopping in-store, according to SmartCommerce’s 2024 Holiday Gatherings and Shopping Report. The latter figure is a slight decrease from the 16% who planned to shop entirely in-store for holiday gifts last year.
SmartCommerce’s survey found that 51% of consumers said they plan to shop both in-store and online, while 30% will order all their gifts online to be delivered. Five percent of those surveyed said they will order all their gifts online, but for in-store pickup. Younger consumers are moving away from in-store shopping especially, with only 4% of Gen Z and 8% of millennials opting for exclusively in-store shopping, compared to 20% of Baby Boomers.
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When it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events, consumers prefer shopping online versus in-store, with 47% reporting they will shop online over the weekend, and only 20% planning to go in-store. On Thanksgiving Day, 32% plan to shop online and only 11% plan to go in-store.
About half (48%) of SmartCommerce’s survey respondents said they plan on spending about the same as last year on holiday gifts, while just over a quarter (28%) said they plan to spend more this year. Eighteen percent said they expect to spend less on holiday shopping this year, and 6% said they will not buy gifts at all this year.
When asked by SmartCommerce which retailers they planned to use to do their holiday shopping, respondents named Amazon most often at 79%, closely followed by Walmart (69%) and Target (42%). Dollar stores were included by 22% of respondents and grocery stores and Costco, each at 17%. When it comes to choosing what gifts to buy, free shipping (76%), discounts (72%) and buy-one-get-one officers (41%) are valued by large numbers of consumers.
Gift-giving preferences vary across generations. Younger adults (18-26) show the most diverse approach, equally favoring experiential, financial and sentimental gifts (33% each). Practical gifts dominate among 27-43 year olds (53%), while financial gifts become increasingly popular with age, peaking at 41% for those 60 and older.
“It’s clear that this is a year where tradition meets convenience,” said SmartCommerce. “Consumers are balancing holiday traditions with practical shopping strategies this season. Shoppers are gravitating towards mass retailers offering appealing promotions like free shipping and discounts, while utilizing both online and in-store options to fulfill their diverse holiday needs.”
SmartCommerce conducted its quantitative survey between Aug. 14-15, 2024 with a national sample and collected 600 responses. The full report can be found here.
