63% Plan to Shop on Black Friday, with the Assistance of Their Mobile Devices
In-store shopping reigns supreme for Black Friday, with a majority of consumers poised to get up early and hit brick-and-mortar stores. According to a survey conducted by savings destination RetailMeNot, 40% of shoppers feel they get the most savings than any other shopping day.
Of course, technology is now playing a part in saving money on Black Friday as well—now more than ever, shoppers are using their smartphones while in stores to complete their purchases.
“Mobile devices will play a key role this Black Friday,” said Sara Skirboll, shopping and trends expert for RetailMeNot, in a news release. “Thirty percent of shoppers plan to use their mobile devices to redeem extra savings for their purchases while shopping in stores.”
To Stress or Not to Stress
Black Friday has always been deemed the start of the holiday shopping season, and of course, with the holiday shopping season comes holiday stress. Many consumers will feel the pressure of trying to find gifts for loved ones this year. In fact, nearly 9 in 10 (87%) consumers say they find holiday shopping taxing. The pressures have even led 88% of consumers to find some way of de-stressing during the holiday hustle and bustle.
Given the demands of finding the perfect gift for friends and family, it’s no surprise that 75% of shoppers say they would go to some length to find a great deal on a holiday gift. Researching deals and planning beforehand are definitely ways to avoid stressing out during the most wonderful time of the year.
Gift It Good!
What are at the top of shoppers’ wish lists this year? Electronics. Removing the element of price, these are the most requested items in that category:
Video game console (22%)
iPhone 7 (18%)
Wireless ear buds (18%)
Smartwatch (16%)
Have a connoisseur of sorts on your list? Give the gift that keeps on giving: subscription services. Of those we surveyed, 12% indicated that monthly mail delivery services for beauty, clothes or food would make their wish list this year—that’s an estimated 29 million consumers!
No matter how short or long your list, making sure to stay within budget is a must. The holidays can be expensive, which explains why 47% of shoppers are preparing for the holiday festivities by saving money. Even more savvy are the 70% of shoppers who look for deals on holiday gifts year-round!
Shopping with the Stars
Shopping is often more fun with others, especially during the holiday season. When asked about celebrity shopping buddies, Ellen DeGeneres emerged as 2016’s most popular shopping partner, with 25% of consumers agreeing that she’d be the best celebrity shopping companion.
The talk show host is trailed by Jennifer Lawrence (17%), Taylor Swift (14%) and Beyoncé (14%).
The RetailMeNot August 2016 survey was conducted between September 28 and October 1, 2016, among 1,003 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.
Source: PR Newswire; edited by Richard Carufel