“Consumers are highly motivated by price in 2015, according to our survey,” said Alan Lipson, SAS Global Retail Marketing Manager. “So for consumers, my guidance is pay attention to your preferred retailers. Sign up for their loyalty programs, download their apps, follow them on social media, and visit their web sites for deals. Retailers want to reach you in the way you want, so make that work to your advantage. Opt in with your smartphone while shopping in the store - the retailer can send you promotions that other shoppers might not receive.”
Squeaky toys rule: Gift buyers pick pets over coworkers, neighbors
Not surprisingly, kids are the big winners of the holiday gift budget this year. Shoppers plan to spend an average of $277 on family members under 18, $231 on adult family members, but only $203 on significant others. And some family pets are going to enjoy the holidays more than some humans: 28 percent of shoppers plan to buy the family pet a present. That’s more than those who plan to buy gifts for their kids’ teachers, letter carriers, hair stylists, work colleagues or neighbors. So who is buying gifts for Fido or Snowball? Overwhelmingly, women.
Still cashing in on gift cards
Don’t be surprised if you receive a few gift cards this year; it’s the No. 1 gift choice for consumers overall. Next come toys and games, followed by apparel.
Post-holiday predictions? More shopping.
What will consumers do once the wrapping paper and ribbons have been tossed? Hit the post-holiday sales. Overall, two-thirds of holiday shoppers – ranging from 68 percent in the US down to 55 percent in Australia and Canada – plan to cash in on after-holiday bargains. But, cue the sad music, more than a third of consumers expect to return gifts after the holidays.
To learn more, you can download the survey results here. results and infographics that illustrate the research, visit the SAS newsroom.