New York, NY The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) released its Holiday Consumer Purchasing Trends study, providing insight into shopping behavior during the 2015 holiday season. Physical stores drove sales with 91% of consumers choosing brick and mortar retailers this season. The strength in brick and mortar is largely due to the technological advancements on the part of retailers and the savviness of consumers.
“Looking back at the holiday season, the major trend that emerged is the prevalence of the omni-channel consumer and the resulting convergence among brick and mortar and digital retail,” said Tom McGee, president and CEO of ICSC. “The story of bricks vs. clicks is an old one. The story is now one of a shopper getting the best of both worlds, using online research and capabilities to inform physical purchases. The American consumer has sent a clear message that the physical store remains at the epicenter of the shopping experience.”
Additional Findings from the ICSC Holiday Consumer Purchasing Trends Study:
Holiday shoppers spent more; vast majority visited a physical store, citing touching merchandise and convenience as key benefits
• Consumers continued to show resiliency this season, as 40% of shoppers say they spent more this season than in 2014, with 33% spending the same this season. Only 23% said they spent less than last year.
• 198 million American adults made holiday purchases at a physical store this holiday season (Nov. 1 – Dec. 25).
• Seeing, touching, and trying on merchandise was cited the number one reason to shop in store (32%), followed by the ability to browse (26%), and the ability to get the item right away (24%).
• Shoppers also embrace the ease of returning and exchanging products in store, with 20% of shoppers electing to shop in-store because of this advantage.
A savvier consumer uses mobile and click and collect; boosting in-store sales
• 60% of holiday shoppers used their mobile device while shopping in-store to do such things as compare prices, check availability and view reviews/ratings.
• 56% of holiday shoppers researched products before they even entered the store, noting they arrived better informed and ready to purchase.
• Nearly one-third (32%) of holiday shoppers used the click and collect method –with 69 percent of these shoppers purchasing additional items in the store of collection and 36 percent making an another purchase in an adjacent store.
Gift cards, apparel, and electronics leading gift categories this holiday season
• On average, 62% of holiday shoppers spent on gift cards, with an average spend of $145. Fifty percent of all consumers received a gift card this season. Of those that received a gift card, February or later (43%) is the most likely time for them to redeem it, followed by January (39%) and the last week of December (18%).
• 48% of holiday shoppers made a purchase in the apparel/footwear and electronics/devices categories this holiday season.
About the ICSC Holiday Consumer Purchasing Trends study - methodology
The 2015 ICSC Holiday Consumer Purchasing Trends Study was conducted online by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of ICSC from December 28-30, 2015. The survey represents a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,014 adults 18 years of age and older.