Summer has passed, school is back in session, and Halloween is just around the corner. You know what typically comes up next: the holiday shopping season.
The only thing is that 2020 is anything but typical. There were very few summer road trips, kids are wearing masks or taking classes from home, and trick-or-treating might be off the menu to limit COVID-19 spread. So what can retailers expect—if anything—from the holiday shopping season?
Well, at Pearl-Plaza, we believe that asking customers is the best way to understand their expectations and perceptions, so our Strategic Insights Team is here with the answers!
In this study, we asked over 5,000 North American customers all about the 2020 holiday shopping season, including:
- When they will shop
- What they will be shopping for
- Whether they will be shopping in store or online
- If they expect to attend Black Friday doorbusters
- And more!
How Will the State of the Pandemic Affect Shoppers Feelings and Habits?
If it’s one lesson we’ve learned so far this year, it’s that we need to expect the unexpected. When many of us started working from home at Pearl-Plaza in March, we never imagined that we wouldn’t be able to work in the office for months. Customers know this, but they are still feeling optimistic that circumstances with the pandemic will improve in the next few months according to our research.
In the unstructured data accompanying these questions, customers went into their feelings in more detail:
- “I don’t think it will get better until 2021…but that will not stop my [upcoming holiday shopping].”
- “I think things will remain the same for a while…we just have to get used to this [new normal].”
Though we all hope that we will see improvement in the next few months, we have to face the reality that there is a possibility COVID-19 will be with us through the new year. With that in mind, we asked how this possibility would affect likelihood to switch from in-store shopping to online.
In this case, customers were especially wary of their personal safety and health if the pandemic is still among us in the holidays, with the majority (65%) stating they are more likely to shop online. Still, 35% said they would still shop in stores; these customers described:
- “I think [brands] are doing enough right now to make sure I’m safe when in their stores.”
- “As long as the [COVID measures] are still in place, I will be going to the stores.”
It should definitely give retail brands a boost to know that they are making their customers feel safe, and that the in-store experience is so important in the eyes of their customers.
Looking Forward
Preparation is key, especially in such a busy season. But add in a global pandemic and being prepared seems to be almost impossible.
However, if retailers are armed with information directly about their customers about what they will do in the event that the pandemic worsens, whether they’ll be shopping in store or online, and more, they will know where they need to dedicate their time and resources to succeed.
