As we head into the holiday shopping season, Vericast, a marketing solutions company, found that consumers want to shop early and shop local. Because of anticipated shipping delays, 55 percent of respondents said they will shop in person instead of online. Sentiment was high for local businesses, with 60 percent preferring to shop local and 71 percent agreeing on the importance of supporting local businesses.
Saving money is another big factor for consumers this holiday season; 30 percent will be spending more money this year on gifts to make up for the 2020 holiday season and 50 percent want to use more coupons this year for their holiday shopping.
“Last year, lockdowns made in-person shopping challenging. As the world began to open again, people were anxious to get back into their local stores and use online shopping to supplement certain items,” says Sarah O’Grady, vice president of brand marketing at Vericast. “With the holiday season upon us, consumers want to make up for lost time after such a disruptive 2020. Retailers can capitalize on this by offering deals and discounts, online and in-store, that make holiday shopping more affordable and meets consumers where they are.”
