Trends along the path to purchase
The 2017 Holiday Planning Playbook is retail’s guide for understanding the key lessons from the 2016 season and how the consumer’s ever-evolving path to purchase will impact the upcoming holiday season. To help retailers prepare for the 2017 holidays, NRF surveyed over 2,000 holiday shoppers to understand their experiences and behavior during the 2016 season and what they expect from retailers moving forward. Along with data highlighting consumer expectations, the report provides suggestions for retailers to consider when planning for the season.
Survey highlights
- Get on the list: Only a quarter of respondents said they used online wish lists and registries from retailers in 2016, but more than six in 10 would like to use more online wish lists in the future.
- Know that consumers have the holidays in mind long before the first snow: The holiday season starts ahead of Black Friday, with more than half of holiday shoppers starting to research and plan their gifts in October or earlier — before they start committing to actual purchases.
- Understand how to save the sale: Consumers may be entering the holidays armed with more information but that doesn’t mean their minds are completely made up. Nine in 10 holiday shoppers said something convinced them to make a purchase they may have been hesitant about; more than half purchased an item that was recommended to them by the retailer online.
