Trust is a key to brand loyalty—48 percent of consumers say they distrust brands with their personal information. As a result, one in two U.S. holiday shoppers are steadfastly brand loyal and will only shop at stores they frequented in the past, a new survey of U.S. holiday shoppers from customer-led marketing platform Optimove reveals. For shoppers, familiarity equals safety, as 96 percent of survey respondents said that they will shop online in 2022.
The firm’s new 2022 Consumer Holiday Retail Shopping Survey found U.S. holiday shoppers, overall, will budget less on holiday gifts in 2022. Twice as many will spend less (35 percent) than respondents who plan to spend more (17 percent). Most will start their shopping journey early, with more than half saying Halloween will initiate their purchasing. Further, consumers are open to early offers from familiar brands—69 percent of respondents want early offers from preferred retailers. Just 41 percent of respondents said they are willing to wait for Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.
“These results underscore that brand loyalty is a huge bonus for retailers,” said Pini Yakuel, CEO of Optimove, in a news release. “Shoppers who have a relationship with a brand are more likely to trust that marketer to provide relevant, timely recommendations. Plus, wary consumers are comfortable sharing information with a brand they know.”
The survey of 514 U.S. consumers revealed several other key insights about shoppers as they approach the 2022 holiday season. These include:
Price is a key motivator over service for shoppers
More than eight in ten (82 percent) responded that price was more important than service in shopping.
Over one-third of U.S. consumers surveyed will spend less in the 2022 holiday season versus 2021
Overall, 35 percent of Americans will spend less this season than in 2021, 17 percent will spend more, and 48 percent the same.
Recommendations from familiar retailers can increase the chance of a sale
One in three (32 percent) shoppers said that recommendations from a retailer, based on the shopper’s previous browsing, increase the chance the shopper will buy. Forty-three percent responded that recommendations “made no difference.” In addition, 19 percent found recommendations were invasive or decreased the chance they would buy.
More than half of consumers want holiday offers 20-60 days before the holiday:
More than half (55 percent) want a holiday offer at least 20-60 days before the holiday, and just 27 percent want offers within 20 days of the holiday.
Email is the preferred channel by consumers to receive offers
Email is the preferred channel by 35 percent of consumers for brands to market to them—and the most likely to catch their attention. This compares to text/SMS (14 percent), social media (12 percent), traditional media TV/radio/newspaper/billboard (10 percent). Twenty-nine percent chose “none of the above.”
More than half of consumers will unsubscribe from marketers
Fifty-four percent of the consumers surveyed said they will unsubscribe from 1 to 5 brands during the holiday season, while 31 percent never unsubscribe.
Consumers willing to spend more with retailers committed to the environment
Practically half of U.S. consumers surveyed (49 percent) responded that they would pay more to a merchant committed to the environment. In addition, 74 percent of respondents said that it is important that a merchant is committed to the environment.
Download the full report here.
The Optimove 2022 Consumer Holiday Retail Shopping Survey queried 514 U.S. citizens in September 2022. Respondents were ages 18-plus, 49 percent male/51 percent female (no respondents were non-binary or declined to answer), and household incomes were $50,000-plus. Eighty percent of respondents will shop at brick-and mortar-retailers, and 96 percent plan to shop online.
