Holiday Shopping Trends

Holiday Shopping Trends: Analysis of consumer behaviour during the holiday season, focusing on sustainable and local shopping 

As Christmas approaches the demand for presents to give to your loved ones increases and therefore the amount of people going out to buy things also Grows In this article I will be talking about customer behaviours when shopping for holiday gifts such as presents for Christmas. This Article will also take a look at other options rather than just going into a mall, such as going to local businesses or shopping online. 

(ABS News) 

Customer Shopping behaviour in Holiday 

When shopping for Holidays there are several things that affect shopping behaviour of customers such as the following: 

Price sensitivity heightens due to the expensive time of the year having to buy presents to other people, this causes people to be more careful with their money impacting how much they spend their money. People start to notice inflation more as well as that there are people reduce spending on non-essential items, people look more frequently for discount codes, with data showing that 47% of Portuguese people plan on spending $100-$249 on Christmas gifts, and 81% of people considering the price the main factor for buying presents. 

Data for when Portuguese people plan on shopping for Christmas presents: 

(TGM Research) 

Purchase Planning: When it comes to Holiday shopping, people want to make sure that they are able to buy presents as soon as possible. Some research shows that in 2024 25% of Americans started shopping in October, opposite to the 19% in October 2023, The UK also as a similar trend in shopping early with 69% of consumers starting by August and 85% by October.   

Online Shopping: there are several factors that drive the use of online shopping. For example, there is wider variety of products, avoid crowded stores, being able to compare prices with more ease and the convenience by which they don’t have to leave home, with statistics showing that 68% of Americans plan to do mostly online shopping in 2024, opposite to the 60% in 2023. 

Portuguese data Shopping Online vs Shopping in stores: 

(TGM Research) 

Local shopping/ Sustainable Shopping 

According to  a survey by AT&T Business Survey most people believe that small businesses/local businesses offer better and more unique holiday gifts. These shoppers are looking for personalized gifts and handmade goods from local businesses. There is also an increased sense of responsibility to support local businesses in holiday shopping with a significant increase of 73% of American's aiming to support their local businesses in 2024 vs the 65% in 2023. shopping at these small local businesses can also be sustainable since avoiding big companies that most likely have big carbon footprints, not only supports your local economy but also avoids pollution. 

As the holiday season approaches, consumer behaviour undergoes noticeable changes driven by factors like price sensitivity, convenience, and the desire to plan purchases ahead of time. While some trends, such as increased spending or reliance on online shopping may reflect the pressure of the season to buy presents, there is also a growing appreciation for local shopping. Choosing to shop sustainably and locally not only helps reduce environmental impact but also strengthens local economies and provides shoppers with more unique, personalized gifts. 

Bibliography 

Brown, Jason. “2024 Holiday Shopping Data May Signal Longer-Term Shifts in Consumer Behavior.” Ipsos, 18 Nov. 2024, www.ipsos.com/en-us/2024-holiday-shopping-data-may-signal-longer-term-shifts-consumer-behavior. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024. 

AllBusiness. “Holiday Shopping Statistics for 2024: The Season Started with a Bang.” Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2024/12/09/holiday-shopping-statistics-for-2024-the-season-started-with-a-bang/. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024. 

Taylor, Madison. “How Consumer Behavior Changes during the Holiday Season.” Madison Taylor Marketing, 15 Nov. 2023, madisontaylormarketing.com/library/how-consumer-behavior-changes-during-the-holiday-season/#:~:text=How%20Consumer%20Behavior%20Changes%20During%20the%20Holiday%20Season,...%206%20Don%E2%80%99t%20Miss%20the%20Marketing%20Moment%20. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024. 

News, ABS-CBN. “How to Start Christmas Shopping... For 2017 | ABS-CBN News.” ABS-CBN, 19 Dec. 2016, www.abs-cbn.com/business/12/19/16/how-to-start-christmas-shopping-for-2017. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024. 

Mi.pham. “TGM Portugal Christmas Report 2024 – Top Insights & Holiday Data.” TGM Research, TGM RESEARCH: MARKET RESEARCH AND ONLINE PANELS, 13 Nov. 2024, tgmresearch.com/christmas-insights-2024-portugal.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024. 

“Holiday Shopping Trends & Stats.” Storyly.io, 2024, www.storyly.io/post/12-key-holiday-season-trends-and-50-statistics-for-ecommerce?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024. 

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