With Black Friday and the holiday shopping season just around the corner, more and more people are getting ready to buy their most desired products. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, though, a few new shopping trends have emerged, as observed in our survey.
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Conducted with a sample size of 874 adults over the age of 18, between September 23 and 29, 2020, the survey included questions regarding this year’s shopping season start date, the amount to be spent, and holiday shopping preferences.
Let’s take a closer look at the results of this survey.
When Will You Begin Your Holiday Shopping?
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Holiday Shopping Season 2020 Survey Results:
- 16.70% September
- 20.82% October
- 23% Early November
- 20.25% Thanksgiving/Black Friday
- 19.22% Before Christmas
Compared to similar surveys conducted over the last few years, the results do not show any significant changes regarding the start date of this holiday season, as some of us might have assumed.
Although 2020 has been a challenging year, with unexpected events that have affected many aspects of our lives, the favored shopping season start date remains the beginning of November. Twenty-three percent of survey participants have chosen this time of the holiday shopping season as their preferred date to begin their shopping.
While this is the dominant start date, October and Thanksgiving/Black Friday also hold top positions, considering that 20.82 percent of the respondents will begin their shopping in October, and 20.25 percent of them will wait for this year’s Thanksgiving/Black Friday to do this.
Do You Plan to Spend More Money This Holiday Season?
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Holiday Shopping Season 2020 Survey Results:
- 27.46% Less
- 32.84% More
- 39.70% The same as last year
The biggest question regarding this year’s holiday shopping session concerns the amount of money shoppers intend to spend. This is significant, considering that 2020 has brought upheaval to the job market and to the financial stability of the average household.
However, for 2020, 39.70 percent, or the largest group of survey participants, plan on spending the same amount as they did last year.
Surprisingly, only 27.46 percent of the respondents will spend less than they did last year, and 32.84 percent will actually spend more during this year’s holiday shopping season.
What Is Your Preferred Shopping & Delivery Method?
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Holiday Shopping Season 2020 Survey Results:
- 50.92% Online order & Curbside pickup
- 26.89% Online order & home delivery
- 22.20% In-Store
Analysis and Demographics
The way we shop continues to change, thanks to technology. Coupled with restrictions brought on by the pandemic, shopping habits and preferences will shift this holiday season.
More than half of respondents, 50.92 percent, plan to shop online. However, rather than wait for home delivery, they will opt for curbside pickup at the store. Of course, this method may vary from one retailer to another, but according to the results of the survey, it remains the most preferred shopping option.
More than one-fourth of the respondents, 26.89 percent, prefer online shopping and home delivery, and only 22.20 percent will shop in-store.
While the traditional in-store method is probably the fastest way to check off items on a shopping list, as long as the stores are not crowded, it is the least preferred method this year. This is no surprise, as social distancing continues to be the norm in 2020.
Stores Closed on Thanksgiving Day
Shoppers are not the only ones changing their habits this holiday shopping season. Thanks to the pandemic, retailers have had to make significant adjustments to the in-store experience.
Stores opening on Thanksgiving night was a contentious issue, but now, in 2020, this is not an option.
Since Thanksgiving Day is November 26 and Black Friday is November 27, several major retailers have announced that they will be officially closed on Thanksgiving. The list of stores officially closed on Thanksgiving includes:
- Academy Sports and Outdoors
- Best Buy
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- Foot Locker
- The Home Depot
- Kohl’s
- Macy’s
- Office Depot
- Target
- Under Armour
- Walmart
This list is likely to expand in the next few weeks, as several other retailers are likely to join.
Last year, this list also included names such as Ace Hardware, Barnes & Noble, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, Guitar Center, H&M, Hobby Lobby, IKEA, Lowe’s, Patagonia, Pier 1, Sierra Trading Post, Stein Mart, TJ Maxx, and World Market. However, there are no official statements from these retailers yet.
Some of the retailers that will be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year were open on Thanksgiving Day last year. Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Old Navy, Sears, Target, and Walmart are just a few of them. Retailers that were closed last year might choose to be open this year.
What’s Different This Year?
It should come as no surprise that the shopping experience will be different on this year’s Black Friday, as retailers that will be open and in-store shoppers are required to respect social distancing norms.
Some of the major names in retail have already made it public that the shopping experience will be tailored to align with the best social distancing practices.
Walmart promises “an all-new Black Friday experience” that is based on new shopping preferences and COVID-19-related rules. Here are some of the most important changes.
- Reduced in-store hours yet more and earlier sales – Even though the exact operating hours haven’t been disclosed, the retailer will be closed on Thanksgiving Day in order to provide associates with more time to stock shelves and sanitize. However, to compensate for reduced in-store shopping time, the retailer has made it public that there will be additional online sales earlier, so that shoppers can make purchases in advance of this year’s holiday season.
- Social distancing rules – Any store that is open for business is required to take strict safety measures in order to ensure a safe shopping experience, and Walmartis no exception. If you plan on shopping in a Walmart store, wearing a mask is mandatory. Plus, the retailer will use plastic barriers and signs to ensure a safe distance between shoppers and workers. Moreover, to avoid contact, the retailer provides shoppers with the ability to pay via the Walmart mobile app.
- Online shopping and more delivery options – To provide and encourage a safer shopping experience, the retailer will focus on online shopping this year more than ever. Deals will be available earlier, and shoppers have the opportunity to choose from various pickup and delivery options, such as express same-day shipping and free next-day/two-day shipping on purchases over $35.
Home Depot has embraced a similar approach. The shopping options the home improvement retailer offers for this year’s Black Friday also focus on extended sales and a safer shopping experience. The company said that Black Friday discounts will be made available not only on November 27 but from early November through December.
To support safe shopping, the retailer offers discounts both in stores and online and provides mobile app users with exclusive early access to various discounts in November. The company is among this year’s retailers that will keep their stores closed on Thanksgiving Day.
October Sales
Discounts and promotions will be available from major retailers in October as well. Amazon Prime Day 2020 took place on October 13 and 14.
The annual sales event includes two days of special discounts on a variety of items across all product categories. To benefit from many of this event’s best deals, an Amazon Prime membership is required. There’s a 30-day free trial available once you sign up. After the trial is over, you can choose between a monthly membership that will cost you $12.99 or an annual membership for $119.
Some of these Prime Day deals were available early. For example, you can save 50% on a new six-month Kindle Unlimited Membership or an annual Audible plan. Also, various daily essentials are discounted by up to 40%.
Survey Methodology
The Holiday Shopping Season 2020 Survey was administered to 874 adults over the age of 18 between September 23 – 29, 2020, and was conducted online using the SurveyMonkey platform.
About BlacknFriday
BlacknFriday.com was created in 2015 in order to assist shoppers in sorting through the Black Friday and holiday shopping confusion. The team keeps shoppers up to date with the latest ad scan news, sales, deals, and special offers from both offline and online retailers during Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.
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Established by a group of shopping enthusiasts, BlacknFriday.com continues to grow each holiday season.