When it comes to shopping, it's all about loyalty for the U.S. consumer with price and quality coming in second and third, respectively.
That's a top finding from the Astound Commerce study, "Preparing for an Ever-Evolving Holiday Season," that polled 1,000 global shoppers regarding shopping behavior in the wake of COVID-19 and the upcoming holiday sales season.
Other findings include:
- Nearly a quarter of consumers across the globe predict they will spend more on gifts in 2021, in contrast to their holiday spending in 2020. When asked about the rationale behind this projected increase in spending, the top two reasons were to make up for missed holidays in 2020 (52%), followed by an improved financial situation (34%).
- Nearly a quarter of global shoppers plan to give custom-order or personalized items as gifts during the 2021 holiday season.
- In a comparison of pre- and post-pandemic consumer behaviors, global shoppers expect to continue using curbside pickup once the pandemic subsides, indicating an increase in usage of more than 32%.
- 76% of shoppers adopted live-stream shopping over the course of 2020, as retailers looked to creative ways to provide personal interactions with consumers in lieu of the in-person experience.
- Nearly three out of four global shoppers indicate they missed the ability to shop in store during the stay-at-home restrictions. In the U.S., in-store shopping has been steadily rising since the beginning of 2021, with 65% of Americans saying they have made a purchase in a physical store in the last six months.
- Nearly a quarter of global shoppers say they will shop via a social media site more often this 2021 holiday season compared to 2020.
- 35% of Gen Z shoppers say AR/VR tools would help them select the right product and thereby mitigate the need to make a return.