Tech devices, accessories shaping up as big holiday items

Black Friday weekend shoppers will be in a tech-buying mood. 

Among the 49% of the U.S. population that plans to shop during Black Friday Week (Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday), 82% plan to buy tech devices and accessories, ranging from wireless earbuds to streaming service subscriptions, according to new data  by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). 

The 2019 Pre-Black Friday Week Survey  finds that among the U.S. adults who plan to buy tech, the top planned purchases are wireless earbuds/headphones (57%), mobile device cases (46%), video game discs (42%), portable battery chargers (42%), streaming and download services such as Netflix or Spotify (41%), and smartphones (41%).

“Wireless earbuds and streaming content will make a very strong showing over the course of Black Friday Week,” said Lesley Rohrbaugh, director of market research, CTA. “Content subscriptions and services are quickly becoming a go-to gift, especially as a wide range of streaming video, audio and gaming options come on the market this holiday season.”

Tech shoppers will use a combination of shopping channels over Black Friday Week and while most will do some shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, more consumers will shop for tech online, mobile and via voice compared to last year, the report said.

In other highlights:
•    Almost all U.S. adult shoppers plan to shop in-person at brick-and-mortar stores (97%), with most planning to shop at a mass merchant such as Walmart or Target.

•    More U.S. adult shoppers plan to shop online (83%) using a desktop or laptop computer, up two percentage points over last year.

•    The number of consumers planning to shop using a mobile device (81%), such as a smartphone or tablet, is up five percentage points over 2018.

•    The biggest jump will occur with the number of Black Friday Week shoppers who say they plan to shop for tech via voice (48%) – up nine percentage points – using digital assistants such as Siri or Amazon Alexa, to find and research holiday deals.