Survey: Three in 5 U.S. consumers see return to normalcy by July 4th
Nearly a quarter of consumers (24%) say they have already celebrated at least one 2021 holiday normally, and 59% expect a return to normalcy on or before the 4th of July.
Those are among the findings of a new holiday sentiment study by Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space. Readiness for holiday "normalcy" varies based on vaccination level. Consumers who do not plan to get the vaccine are twice as likely to say they are ready to celebrate holidays on a larger scale, and 57% say they are ready to celebrate holidays normally.
In contrast, fully-vaccinated consumers are the most cautious group, with 36% saying they will ease back into normal celebrations, and 16% planning to stick to small-scale celebrations for the foreseeable future, even after restrictions are lifted.
Holiday-specific findings include:
Mother's Day 2021:
• One in three (33%) expect to celebrate Mother's Day normally this year, but most (67%) still expect a COVID impact.
• Mother's Day gift-giving intentions are lower than previous years, with 43% of consumers planning to buy gifts in 2021, vs 53% in previous years. Of those planning to buy gifts, the top five gifting categories include: Flowers (49% of gift-givers), Gift Cards (42%), Food/Drinks (19%), Apparel (18%) and Jewelry (13%).
• Consumers are 55% less likely to go out for food or drinks to celebrate Mother's Day this year than in previous years, but 15% more likely to order food for takeout or delivery.
Memorial Day 2021:
• Nearly three in 10 (29%) expect their Memorial Day plans to be unaffected by the pandemic, though consumers are still 51% less likely to travel vs previous years.
• Grilling/barbecuing and gathering with family/friends are expected to remain the top celebration methods, though both are expected to see decreases in 2021 as consumers remain cautious regarding large gatherings. Consumers are 15% less likely to grill or barbecue in 2021 than previous years and 27% less likely to gather with family and friends.
• Consumers are 31% more likely to order food/drinks for takeout or delivery -- the only celebration method which saw an increase from previous years.
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Father's Day 2021:
• Two in five consumers (40%) expect their Father's Day plan to be unaffected by COVID, the highest of any spring or summer holiday to date.
• Similar to Mother's Day gifting intentions, just over a third (36%) of consumers plan to give their father a Father's Day gift, down from nearly half of consumers (47%) in previous years. The top five Father's Day gifting categories include: Gift Cards (53% of gift-givers), Apparel (35%), Food/Drinks (22%), Electronics (11%), and Sporting Goods (10%).
• Also in line with Mother's Day findings, consumers are 25% less likely to see their fathers in-person this Father's Day and 21% more likely to call or video chat.
• Going out for food/drinks is expected to see the most significant decline among Father's Day celebration methods, with 15% of consumers expecting to do so in 2021, down from one-third of consumers (33%) in previous years.