Shoppers are starting their holiday planning earlier and not waiting for Black Friday and Cyber Monday to make all their purchases, according to the fifth annual holiday edition of Shoppers Trend Report from RetailMeNot, marketed as the largest digital offers destination in the United States.
"Consumers in record numbers are questioning the value of offers on Black Friday," said Trae Bodge, senior lifestyle editor at RetailMeNot. "And while this perception appears to be driven by media speculation, it serves as a catalyst for many shoppers to begin preparing and shopping for the holiday season as soon as Labor Day. While early-bird behavior is beneficial for the strategic buyer, RetailMeNot's offer data still suggests that deals during the five days of savings from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday are stronger on a percent-off basis than in prior weeks."
According to a survey conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of RetailMeNot, consumers said the following regarding their early shopping patterns:
- Only 10% of consumers surveyed believe that Black Friday savings are worth the wait.
- 85% of shoppers expect retailer holiday promotions to begin prior to Black Friday, with 54% saying they expect to see these offers in the marketplace prior to October.
- 51% of consumers said they take advantage of deals throughout the year regardless of major holiday sales.
- 45% of shoppers are always in deal-hunting mode.
Shopping in-store will continue to be popular, according to survey data. In fact, 88% of consumers confirmed that they're looking for motivation to enter a mall or store this holiday season. In addition, the most attractive promotions were as follows:
- 44% of shoppers surveyed would be motivated to shop in-store if they could get money back on their purchase.
- Holiday sales would prompt 37% of consumers to shop in stores; while exclusive flash-sale deals (31%) and door-buster offers (27%) would get the rest through the door.
- 24% said gift-wrapping services encourages them to shop in stores.
- 16% of shoppers said that good holiday music encourages them to enter a store to shop.
In the "Why Not?" category, RetailMeNot asked consumers who they thought would be the best celebrity deal hunter to go shopping with this holiday season.
- 28% believe that Kelly Ripa would help them find the best deals.
- 13% Kate Gosselin
- 12% Sarah Jessica Parker
- 9% Kristen Bell
- 9% Lady Gaga
RetailMeNot also suggests that consumers reconsider making all purchasing decisions at one time because category deals tend to ebb and flow. For example:
- A holiday traveler looking to plan a winter getaway in advance of the season can find an average discount of 33% off during the month of October, based on the average savings experienced by RetailMeNot users during the same period in 2014.
- Electronics and computers hit their peak from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday and then into the first week of December, with an average discount ranging from 38% to 40% off, according to RetailMeNot data.
- During post-Cyber Monday through the end of the year, items such as discounted gift cards represent tremendous savings opportunities. So, consumers can purchase discounted gift cards, apply coupons to that purchase and then use a cash-back credit card to extend their savings even further.
[Image courtesy of Getty Images/Johner Images--Fridh Conny]