US online shopping outpaces in-store, 50% prefer online: Bazaarvoice

Bazaarvoice’s 2024 Global Holiday Season Consumer Behaviour Report offers valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of holiday shopping. It explores the influence of creator, consumer and brand-generated content, what types of seasonal content shoppers seek during the holiday season, and how they impact purchasing decisions. 8,230 consumers aged 18 to 65+ were surveyed about 2024 holiday shopping season preferences across six countries: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia).

According to the report, US shoppers are already gearing up for the holiday season. Almost a quarter of shoppers (21 per cent) will start gift shopping by August or earlier. More than a third of people (32 per cent) will start by September, and more than half (54 per cent) will start by October.

Half of US shoppers begin their holiday shopping online by researching search engines (23 per cent) or looking directly at brand and retailer sites (27 per cent). However, the days of mall Santas and decked-out department stores are not entirely over. Going to the mall is still popular for shoppers who want to start their holiday shopping (20 per cent). Globally, Gen Z was the most likely across all generations to say they started by going to the mall (35 per cent).

As brands and retailers begin sharpening e-commerce and social commerce strategies, the report shows online retail stores (36 per cent) were the most popular choice for US shoppers. The next most popular choice was in-store shopping, with 29 per cent of consumers choosing this method.

Brands and retailers must pivot towards a comprehensive omni-channel strategy to enhance their reach and interactions. This research, and insights from the Channel Mix Study, underscores the necessity of this shift. By closely monitoring and adapting to shoppers’ preferred channels, brands and retailers can ensure they are present in the right place, at the right time, with the right context, effectively balancing the PESO channels—paid, earned, shared, and owned—to optimise their market presence and consumer engagement.

Whether aimlessly scrolling or actively looking for gifts, 45 per cent of shoppers say their festive social media shopping is intentional and spontaneous. According to the report, consumers say video format shines brightest when capturing their attention during the holiday season most effectively (37 per cent), with shoppers mostly preferring to watch videos that are 1-5 minutes long (27 per cent), closely followed by videos that are a minute or less (27 per cent). Notably, 36 per cent of shoppers have actively engaged with or come across shoppable content on social media while shopping for holiday gifts last year.

When asked about the type of content they prefer to see on social media during the holiday season (user-generated, brand-created, or influencer-created), shoppers are split. 44 per cent of consumers prefer brand-created content, while 43 per cent prefer user-generated content. Only 13 per cent prefer influencer-created content. A majority (58 per cent) don’t seek out creator content on social media during the holiday season at all.

“In today’s market, it’s crucial for brands to create authentic and engaging content at the consumer’s preferred place and moment of engagement. With 82 per cent of shoppers emphasising the importance of seamless experience across multiple channels, leveraging ‘waterholes’ across the journey and integrating online and in-store experiences is crucial for an effective omni-channel strategy,” says Zarina Stanford, CMO, Bazaarvoice.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)