Takeaways for Brands to Win the Holiday Season Takeaways for Brands to Win the Holiday Season

Retailers feel confident with early jump start and consumers confirm that decision.

of retailers feel prepared for the 2021 holiday season

of retailers are planning for the holiday rush to begin before Black Friday

of consumers are planning to shop before Thanksgiving

of retailers plan to begin messaging Black Friday sales earlier

Over half of Americans plan to shop Black Friday sales

Consumers are ready to get back to Black Friday shopping across all channels

plan to shop in physical stores on Black Friday

44%

62% of ZMG consumers plan to shop Black Friday and 65% plan to shop Cyber Monday.

ZMG shoppers are 24% less likely to wait until Black Friday to shop when compared to gen pop consumers

Shoppers across RetailMeNot, Offers.com, Mashable and other ZMG sites report the behavior is more about finding the best deal and most options available over anything else.

ZMG shoppers plan to spend 2X as much this season compared to the average shopper.

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Methodology

Top Categories:

Planned Spend Among...

Americans

ZMG Consumers

$800

$1,931

Apparel/ Clothing

Gift Cards

Toys

Small Electronics

Large Electronics

71% of ZMG consumers always look for a deal or discount before purchase.

Consumers say they will spend more with a brand or retailer this season if they:

offer the lowest price

45%

Free Shipping and best price drive more spend from shoppers this season.

offer free shipping

46%

39%

have the best sales/discounts

38%

make it easy to shop

37%

offer gift with purchase

ZMG shoppers are looking for free returns across channels and buy online, pick up in store options galore.

of consumers desire competitive price matching from brands as well

71% of shoppers want to hear from retailers about deals and discounts

of retailers say they have allotted more budget this year for holiday promotions

Retailers consider financial constraints and will offer much needed promotions on gifts.

52%

While ZMG consumers overindex in online shopping, more than a third (38%) expect tho shop in stores. This is up from 26% in 2020.

of retailers expect in-store shopping to be back at pre-Covid levels this season

Nearly half (49%) of total holiday shopping is expected to be in brick-and-mortar stores this season

Consumers are cautious – but excited – about in-store shopping experiences this season.

This omnichannel approach appeals to ZMG shoppers at all phases – 58% say they like to browse for gifts in stores but may end up purchasing online.

Prioritize an omnichannel strategy

Coordinate strategy efforts across online and in-store channels

Top Ways Retailers Plan to Adapt:

Retailers must be prepared to pivot quickly and strategically across channels.

find it extremely important to be able to pivot their campaigns quickly to meet new consumer needs or trends

of shoppers are most worried about shipping delays and items being out of stock (34%)

of retailers will prioritize curbside pick up to help with these challenges

41% are concerned about shipping delays

Pandemic concerns linger, but retailers prepare with previous year’s lessons.

of retailers are concerned that they will not have enough staff for operations

To mediate this issue, stores can encourage consumers to shop earlier in the season and offer omnichannel options.

ZMG consumers are less likely to be stressed about their budget, but instead, are obsessed with finding the best deals.

34%

Out of stock items

35%

Delivery delays

38%

Getting the best deal

42%

Not knowing what to buy

Budget/finances

45%

Top holiday stressors:

Budget and finances top list of consumer stressors, driving obsession with pricing.

Only 24% are still concerned with health and safety in stores

Participating in cash back boost events (like Cash Back Day) can drive +60% lift in average sales

Stand out all season long – and keep margin in mind – with smart promotional tactics.

cash back

Over 30% more retailers are promoting BOPIS & curbside pickup in offers YoY

Free shipping and click & collect services

Over +20% higher average engagement and orders on code-based deals vs general sales

Online and omni channel code-based deals

Research Conducted by: Kelton A 15-minute online survey was conducted among retailer decision makers (Senior Managers/Directors) Field Dates: July 23 - 30, 2021 Total Respondents: 209

Retailer Holiday Shopping Study

Methodology

Research Conducted by: Ziff Media Group A 8-minute online survey was conducted among US Adults 18+ Field Dates: July 23 - 30, 2021 Total Respondents: 1,082

Consumer Holiday Shopping Study

Research Conducted by: Ziff Media Group A 8-minute online survey was conducted among US Adults 18+, Zmg Brand subscribers Field Dates: Jul 23 - Aug 2, 2021 Total Respondents: 8,214

ZMG Holiday Shopping Study

Methodology

Top 10 Takeaways for Brands to Win the Holiday Season

For Press Inquiries, email press@ziffmedia.com.

For more information on how to partner with ZMG to engage shoppers across RetailMeNot, Offers.com, Mashable and PCMag.com, visit: ziffmedia.com

Sit back and settle in for this season's insight binge session.

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After successfully navigating the 2020 holidays, retailers are prepared for the unexpected in 2021 as they compete for holiday dollars. Similarly, American shoppers are excited for a return to some semblance of normalcy and are looking forward to shopping both in-store and online. We’re bringing you the latest research-based on-demand data and insights for 2021 holiday success.

Top 10 Takeaways

2021

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Methodology

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