According to a survey by Square and Wakefield Research, 79% of consumers say they can shop conveniently in stores this holiday season. Another 40% of consumers say they make at least half of their purchases in-store.
The results of the survey allay retailers’ fears that in-store purchases will decline this holiday season. This is because 56% of retailers expect many consumers not to shop in store at all. More importantly, 52% of respondents are more likely to support small and local businesses this holiday season than they did last year.
79% of consumers shop conveniently in stores
According to the survey, both retailers and consumers see mask requirements as their most important measure to ensure safe shopping. On average, 53% of shoppers want masks to be needed in stores and 48% of retailers plan to enforce the mandatory wearing of masks.
Further results of the survey are:
- 60% of respondents say they tend to help small businesses shop all the time, often or half the time, when they are on vacation.
- 71% of US retailers offering online options are concerned about carrier delays that cause items to arrive late – a concern shared by 63% of consumers.
- 43% of retailers predict that consumers expect more items to be available for pickup this year.
- 32% of consumers say that having a pick-up option on the roadside makes shopping on site more convenient.
- E-gift card sales are expected to continue growing in popularity this Christmas season. Sales of e-gifts increased 115% on Black Friday and 112% on Cyber Monday compared to the previous year.
Will online shopping be the new norm?
As more and more consumers choose to shop online, retailers are also taking the cue. In fact, only 22% of retailers say they do not intend to offer their customers an option to shop online this holiday season.
Around 47% of consumers say that they are more likely to give away digital gifts such as e-gift cards this season. According to the data, around 51% of businesses will be offering gift cards this year. And 69% of them expect gift card sales to increase this year, especially digital or e-gift cards that can be purchased online.
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