The holiday season in 2022 is shaping up to be different than years past, once again. While we saw a rise in ecommerce sales in the earlier half of the year, the ever-fluctuating economic situation has left many wondering what is in store for this holiday season.
For the second year in a row, Fluent Commerce surveyed consumers on their holiday shopping plans.
Expanding the scope
This year, the scope was widened. In September 2022, Fluent Commerce surveyed 1,000 shoppers on their holiday plans in each location: the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.
What’s on shoppers’ wish lists?
Shoppers still plan to start early—many before November—and while the economy is a concern, over a third of those in the Millennial and Gen-Z demographics actually plan to spend more on their holiday shopping this year.
What else is trending? Accurate inventory. Shoppers across the globe—nearly 70%—said before going to a physical store, they first check online to see if a product is in stock—and if it is, they expect it to be there. Are you confident that you have accurate inventory visibility to support this expectation?
Free delivery still reigns supreme—but speed varies
When consumers decide which retailer to shop with, they take delivery options into consideration. Unsurprisingly, free delivery is still something shoppers seek out. Globally, 4 in 5 consumers said that free shipping is important to them in choosing who to shop with. This has become even more important in the UK. In 2022, a whopping 16% more shoppers said free delivery is important to them as compared to last year.
Shipping speed is also important, but the fastest option didn’t win. Globally, survey respondents agreed that 2-day delivery was the most important to them, as compared to next day, 3-5 day and even 1-2 hour delivery!
Dive into the details
Download the free eBook to dive into the details, such as:
- Which countries have the highest percentage of shoppers who start early—or not
- The country that has the most shoppers who plan to spend more this year vs. last year
- Where consumers are planning to shop: in-store, online or a combination of both (some of these results will surprise you!)
- The delivery options that are—and are not—important to consider
- How CX is impacted
- Returns expectations—be ready for the influx
Summary
Consumers are again starting their holiday shopping earlier, so make sure your business is ready for them. Don’t let legacy systems impact your ability to offer a seamless and outstanding customer experience.
Download this free eBook today so you can be prepared and bring the cheer this holiday season.
