October 01, 2019

Most US Shoppers Expect to Spend as Much or More This Holiday Season than Last Year, with Many Turning to Physical Stores for Inspiration, Accenture Survey Reveals

13th annual holiday shopping survey finds sustainability is high on consumers’ minds, with half planning to opt for delivery options with a lower environment impact

NEW YORK; Oct. 1, 2019 – The vast majority of U.S. consumers plan to spend at least as much this year on holiday gifts as they did last year and will be turning to stores for holiday gift inspiration, according to results of the 13th Annual Holiday Shopping Survey from Accenture (NYSE: ACN). The study also found a growing trend of “responsible retail,” with shoppers more concerned about the environmental and social impact of their purchases.

The online survey of 1,500 U.S. consumers found that Americans expect to spend $637 on holiday shopping this year, on average, with approximately six in seven respondents planning to spend either the same (57%) or more (28%) than they did last year. On average, men expect to spend approximately 15% more than women — $685 versus $588. Gift cards and clothing/footwear topped the list of planned purchases.

There does appear to be a level of caution among consumers this year, however, as the percentage of those who anticipate spending less rose slightly year on year, from 11% to 15%. The two leading factors that respondents cited as affecting their holiday shopping spend are rising food bills (cited by 32% of respondents) and the desire to limit their credit card debt (31%).

Consumers still love physical stores and browsing them for holiday gift inspiration
The survey results go against the hype surrounding the demise of physical stores, with respondents saying they expect to do half of their holiday shopping this year in a store or mall, on average. Stores play an important role when it comes to inspiring shoppers’ gift ideas. In addition, consumers were significantly more likely to say that, after seeing an item in a store, they would purchase the item in the store rather than searching online for a better price and purchasing online.

“While having a strong online proposition has become table-stakes, physical stores will still play an important role in the future,” said Jill Standish, senior managing director and head of Accenture’s global Retail practice. “With consumers planning to do half of their holiday shopping in-store, retailers need to carefully plan their strategy for customer service, including labor, assortment and allocation of inventory. With creativity and ingenuity around the store footprint, retailers have an opportunity to leverage the surge in holiday foot traffic not only to increase holiday revenues but also to find those special customers who will be the loyal ones they depend on all year.”

Perhaps not surprising, 82% of respondents cited lower prices as the top factor that would tempt them to make an in-store purchase, followed by special offers/discounts (77%).

“Although monetary offers are a surefire way to lure in customers, retailers need to manage these incentives carefully, as they can take a big chunk of profits if not managed well,” said Lori Zumwinkle, a managing director at Accenture who leads its Retail practice in North America. “Retailers should be using data-driven approaches to understand the profitability of such tactics, to ensure visibility of inventory, and to build a granular understanding of the intersection between product, services and the customer as they try to outmaneuver competitors during the holidays. This is especially pertinent for gifts of clothing, given the heightened risk of returns and the associated costs.”

Consumers are trading frills and next-day shipping for environmental responsibility
The survey also identified how consumers are beginning to care more about our planet. They want clear labelling that products are made in sustainable or ethical ways, to be shown the origin of materials and ingredients and offered the option of packaging-free products and deliveries.

Further, half of the respondents said that, due to the negative environmental impact of fast-shipping options — which includes the use of planes rather than ground transportation, as well as the shipping of multiple items separately rather than together to expedite delivery — they would opt for delivery options with a lower environment impact, such as slower shipping or in-store pick-up. Consumers are now looking at the carbon footprint of the different delivery options retailers offer.

And it’s not just environmental issues that ‘responsible’ shoppers believe retailers should consider. Retailers have a responsibility to address wider social issues through their business practices and working conditions, and nearly half of the respondents (45%) said they are more likely to do their holiday shopping with retailers that do just that.

“We have entered the era of ‘responsible retail,’ where consumers are becoming more environmentally and socially conscious and will increasingly turn to brands that not only talk about responsibility but demonstrate it through their business practices,” Standish said. “Retailers need to design their products and their business around responsible initiatives; those already on this path could have the edge over their competitors this holiday season and beyond.”

Some other key findings from the survey:

• Fashion rental trend extends to the holidays. Fashion retailers with a rental service could be set to gain this holiday season. For instance, nearly a quarter (24%) of all respondents — and one third (34%) of older millennials — said they would be likely or extremely likely to rent clothes for holiday parties. Also, with people being critical of fashion waste, vintage seems to be “in vogue,” as nearly half (48%) of respondents said they would consider giving second-hand clothing as gifts, and even more — 56% — said they would welcome gifts of this kind for themselves.
• Shoppers taking steps to combat “porch piracy.” Consumers are very aware of the rising trend in package theft, also known as “porch piracy.” Almost one-third (29%) said they use delivery tracking / notification apps deliveries and schedule deliveries for dates / times when someone is home, and one-fifth (21%) are moving entirely away from home delivery and picking up in-store instead.
• Shoppers want greater transparency and commitment when it comes to pricing and personal data security: More than half (52%) of consumers think that a retailer’s responsibility for price-matching guarantees increases during the holidays. In addition, they want retailers to make a greater commitment over the holiday period to keep their personal data safe and secure when making online purchases.
• Thanksgiving and Black Friday continue to lose their shine. The number of respondents who said they’re less inclined to shop on Black Friday or Thanksgiving than they were a few years ago increased this year, from 50% to 55% for Black Friday and from 51% to 58% for Thanksgiving. The reasons cited most often for this were avoiding the crowds competing to get the best bargains, spending the holiday with their family, and being able to get equally good discounts on other days.
• Healthier holiday food shopping. Shoppers are becoming more health-conscious. For instance, they expect to spend more this year on fruits, plant-based foods, and organic and vegan foods while spending less on cakes and desserts, other sweet treats and soda.

For an insight into some of the varying shopper expectations across 17 U.S. cities, click here.

About the survey
The Accenture Holiday Shopping survey offers insights into consumer buying patterns during the holiday time period, providing an indication of retail performance expectations both on the high street and online at a key time for the sector. For this year’s study, Coleman Parkes Research, on behalf of Accenture, surveyed a representative sample of 1,500 U.S. consumers online, each of whom had purchased an item for personal use online or in a store within the previous six months. Respondents were split evenly between gender and by age group, with 20% each of Generation Zers (aged 18-20), younger millennials (21-27), older millennials (28-37), Generation Xers (38-54) and baby boomers (55 and older). The survey was conducted in July and August 2019.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions — underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network — Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 492,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

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Contact:

Aleks Vujanic
Accenture
+44 7500 974 814
aleks.vujanic@accenture.com