85% of Americans Plan to Shop In-Store This Holiday Season

In the age of COVID-19, the last thing you can do is assume business is going to be the same as usual, especially during the holiday shopping season. But for 85% of Americans it is going to be the same when it comes to shopping in a physical store. This according to a new survey from ENGINE Insights.

Even though this group says they plan to shop in a physical store, it doesn’t mean they will not take any precautionary measures. Almost three in four (72%) say they will go to retail stores but only when it is not as busy. They say this is to limit their potential exposure to COVID-19.

ENGINE Insights Consumer Trends Survey

The report for the survey reveals it is going to be a mixed bag of news for retailers. Consumers are shopping in physical stores and online with almost equal measure.

Shopping Online and in Physical Stores

In this survey, 75% of the shoppers say Amazon is also going to be their destination for gifts this year. But their online shopping does not stop there. They also plan on shopping with online retailers that have a physical presence (62%). They say they will opt to have their purchases delivered to them instead.

As to when they will start shopping, 54% of Americans are going to start early to avoid any possible shortage of popular items. Close to a third or 31% say it is going to be before Thanksgiving. Others plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day (12%), Black Friday (25%) and Thanksgiving Day Weekend (15%). And more than one in five or 21% plan to do most of their shopping on Cyber Monday.

When it comes to the items they are going to be buying, apparel is at 46%, followed by toys and games (37%) and electronics (28%). Another 36% say they are going to be buying a personalized gift this holiday season.

Shoppers Looking for the Holidays After a Rough Year

This year shoppers are looking for anything to take them away from the gloom of COVID-19 news. So much so, 85% say they are welcoming holiday advertising as well as other news to lift their spirit.

This includes:

• 85% agree more than ever, the country needs the spirit of the holiday season
• 57% agree they are more emotionally connected to the upcoming holiday season than usual because of the challenges throughout this year
• When it comes to the holiday spirit, 71% agree holiday decorations in retail stores help

ENGINE Insights carried out the survey among a sample of 1,004 adults 18 years of age and older from Oct. 21-23, 2020.

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