The US holiday shopping season is about to begin! More than 70% of online consumers choose Amazon!

A new survey from shopping and rewards app Shopkick reveals when and where American consumers plan to start their holiday shopping.

Shopkick surveyed more than 6,000 U.S. consumers between July 20 and July 25, 2023. The survey showed that 38% of respondents plan to start holiday shopping before Halloween, and 44% intend to start shopping before Thanksgiving.

Less than four in ten (37%) respondents said they plan to shop on Black Friday this year (24% down from 2021), and 20% plan to shop on Cyber ​​Monday (47% down from 2021).

When broken down by generation, four in ten Gen X respondents and 38% of Baby Boomers plan to shop on Black Friday, compared with 18% of Millennials and 3% of Gen Z.

79% of respondents said that promotions and discounts are the main factors that drive their holiday shopping. In addition, other factors such as advertising (22%) and in-store holiday decorations (18%) also influence their shopping decisions.

This year, the number of people who shop in-store and online is evenly split, at 50% each. Of those who shop in-store, 83% plan to buy holiday gifts at big-box stores, followed by discount retailers (44%), department stores (37%) and club stores (33%).

Of those who prioritize online shopping, 77% plan to shop on e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Overstock (now bedbathandbeyond.com) and Etsy.

84% of respondents said free shipping and returns are the most important incentives for online shopping. Other popular online shopping incentives include: fast shipping (46%), flexible and extended return policies (36%), "buy now, pay later" (20%) and "buy online, pick up in store" (12%).

Due to inflation, 39% of respondents plan to spend less on holiday shopping, while only 17% plan to spend more. Of those who plan to spend more, 35% say it’s because they need to give more gifts.

More than six in ten (62%) respondents said inflation and the ongoing economic recession have impacted how they plan to shop for the upcoming holiday season. To save money on holiday shopping, 77% plan to tighten their shopping budgets, 48% plan to shop for deals and promotions, 41% plan to limit who they buy gifts for, and 32% plan to shop online more frequently to save on gas.

More than four in ten (42%) respondents do not have (or plan to have) a holiday shopping strategy this year. Of those who do have a plan, their primary strategy is to take advantage of shopping rewards apps and/or coupons (81%), 70% plan to shop early and spread out their purchases, 56% will prioritize deal days and big sales, and 55% will prioritize buying gifts for their closest friends and family. Additionally, six in ten respondents said they consider sustainability when making their holiday purchases.

Editor ✎ Nicole/

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