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Seamless, satisfying experiences and well-planned promotions will be 2024’s top differentiators for retailers
More than half (54%) of U.S. consumers intend to shop in-store on Black Friday weekend, according to Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls. The brand released the results of its 2024 U.S. Holiday Consumer Sentiment Survey, which indicate that—despite expectations of a strong turnout on the annual promotional holiday—the seasonal rush will start much earlier, with 54% of consumers planning to begin their holiday shopping before November.
The data revealed that the unique benefits of in-store visits are among consumers’ biggest motivators for in-person shopping: browsing for gift ideas (34%) and being able to see products in person before buying (26%). The survey also found that good store associates, visible security measures, and short checkout lines will be key for retailers to win over in-store holiday shoppers. The biggest factors influencing when customers start their holiday shopping are finances (52%), the timing of promotions and holidays (47%), concerns over shipping delays (38%) and the timing of holiday travel/family gatherings (37%).
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“If you look at the things that shoppers say will impact their choices, the list focuses primarily on creating seamless experiences that deliver on your brands expectations,” said Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions. “In-store shoppers want fast lines, fair prices, in-stock items and a seamless omnichannel experience, and they expect these earlier in the shopping season than they have before. As retailers strive to build loyalty and shoppers plan to spend more, removing common pain points, creating flexible shopping options, personalizing and streamlining experiences from start to finish will be crucial to holiday season success.”
Other notable findings from the survey include:
- Just over one-quarter (28%) of consumers say the state of their finances will not impact their budgets this holiday season.
- Significant portions of all age brackets plan to spend at least 10% more this holiday season, though shoppers aged 45-60 are the most likely to do so (41%).
- Younger shoppers are more likely to take advantage of sales and discount events for their holiday shopping, with shoppers aged 30-44 (71%), 45-60 (71%) and 18-24 (70%) having recently pursued these deal days, flash sales and one-off sales events to purchase holiday items. Only 40% of shoppers aged 60 or above said the same.
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- Forty-two percent of shoppers plan to leverage “buy online, pickup in-store” (BOPIS) options and 35% plan to use “buy online, curbside pickup.” However, 29% say that long wait times for these options have the potential to negatively impact their shopping experience.
- Sixty-nine percent of shoppers say that visible security measures (including those that make shoppers feel safest such as security personnel, surveillance cameras, and Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) tags) impact their comfort while shopping, and 34% of these respondents will only feel safe if they see these measures in stores.
- Nearly half (47%) of consumers interact with store associates every time they shop in-store.
“With the season’s busiest days fast approaching, it’s time for retailers to take a deep dive into their data to ensure their holiday plans and promotions are up to par,” said Christa Anz, global marketing leader at Sensormatic Solutions. “Market- and consumer-level insights tell you what shoppers want, but they can’t tell you how to deliver it. That information can only come from having enterprise-, region- and location-specific data that illustrate opportunities to dazzle shoppers throughout the year’s final quarter.”