Report: Almost half of consumers skipping Black Friday

Year-round e-commerce sales and discounting have dulled the impact of traditional Black Friday sales for many consumers.



These shoppers are so desensitized to “Black Friday hype” that nearly three in four respondents (73%) said they prefer to do their holiday shopping outside of the holiday season, during e-commerce sales, such as Amazon Prime Day. These preferences have influenced 47% of shoppers to skip Black Friday or Cyber Monday altogether this year, according to the second annual “JDA Consumer Survey.”



Of those who do plan to do Black Friday shopping, their plans are also changing. Among consumers who shopped primarily in-store for Black Friday deals in 2015, 34% plan to shop equally online and in-store (20%), or even primarily online (31%), the survey showed.



“Consumers continue to be less influenced by the Black Friday holiday deals and are expecting retailers to provide them with more personalized options throughout the year,” said Jim Prewitt, VP of retail industry strategy at JDA Software.



“Amazon Prime Day was a hit this summer, and it’s interesting to see how much of an impact it had on our survey respondents and their holiday shopping plans,” he said. “Its popularity will cause many retailers to not only revisit their holiday sales strategy, but how they compete throughout the year.”



Free shipping and home delivery could be two factors that need immediate attention. Despite retailers’ growing focus on speedy delivery options such as one-hour or next day delivery, 56% of consumers said cost is still the most important factor they consider when placing an online order. One in four consumers claim they do not shop anywhere that does not offer free shipping, the report said.



Free shipping remains such a high priority for consumers that 69% of respondents have spent more than they planned, just to reach the minimum threshold to receive free shipping. One way shoppers alleviate this challenge is to opt for “Buy online pick-up in store” (BOPIS). In fact, almost half of respondents (46%) have used BOPIS options in the last 12 months, nearly a 33% increase from the 2015 JDA Consumer Survey.



Shoppers also don’t want to incur costs during returns. Half of consumers (50%) said paying for return postage and packaging is the most frustrating part of returning online items, the study said.



While 80% of consumers have not used “Buy online return in-store” (BORIS) services in the last 12 months, 67% of respondents would prefer to return an online purchase to a store than through the mail. Of those who have used BORIS services in the last 12 months, 40% did so to avoid the hassle of return deliveries, data revealed.



“As BOPIS is continuing to grow and BORIS is emerging as a core capability to the consumer, more retailers are more likely to merge the lines between online and in-store for both purchases and returns,” said Prewitt. “Retailers need to increase options to meet the demands of digital consumers who continue to influence shopping trends.”