Four changes in U.S. holiday shopping since the outbreak

1. E-commerce is expected to surpass the $200 billion mark for the first time

According to Adobe’s Digital Economy Index, holiday online sales in the U.S. are expected to grow 10% this year , and while e-commerce growth will slow, it should break the $200 billion mark for the first time , reaching $207 billion.

Now that nearly three in five Americans have been vaccinated against Covid-19, the rate of growth in new coronavirus cases has slowed , giving consumers more confidence to return to their holiday traditions. However, not everything will go back to the way it was before the pandemic , as consumers have formed new habits .

2. Consumers will return to stores

The National Retail Federation ( NRF ) , in partnership with Prosper Insights & Analytics , surveyed 7,837 adults from Nov. 1-10 and found that while 61% of consumers have already started buying gifts , nearly 2 million people are expected to shop from Thanksgiving through Cyber ​​Monday .

On Black Friday, 64% of people said they would go to stores to shop, up from 51% last year, the NRF said .

3. Buy Now Pay Later ( BNPL ) is more popular

According to Adobe Analytics, online revenue through buy now, pay later has increased 10% this year compared to 2020 and 45% compared to 2019. In an Adobe survey, a quarter of respondents said they had used a BNPL program in the past three months, with apparel, electronics and groceries being the top three categories.

4. Consumer spending will shift to experience and service gift products

According to a holiday shopping survey of about 1,500 U.S. consumers conducted by consulting firm Accenture in August, about 43% of consumers plan to shift their spending toward experiences and service gifts this holiday season. The survey found that this proportion is even higher among younger generations , with 53% of millennials and 50% of Generation Z saying they will shift back to more experiential spending.

Nearly 70% of respondents plan to buy the same or more restaurant gift cards this holiday season than they did last year, and 47% plan to buy the same or more beauty products or services as gifts, such as manicures .

USA

E-commerce

Consumer behavior