{"id":301170,"date":"2021-03-01T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/integralads.com\/insider\/holiday-shopping-consumer-predictions-vs-reality\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T12:26:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T12:26:15","slug":"holiday-shopping-consumer-predictions-vs-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/integralads.com\/uk\/insider\/holiday-shopping-consumer-predictions-vs-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"2020 Holiday Shopping: Consumer Predictions vs. Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last September, IAS asked European consumers about their shopping<\/a> and advertising preferences during the upcoming holiday season. We wanted to gauge what eCommerce may look like during a time where in-person shopping saw major disruptions. As the holidays end and regifting begins, we\u2019re evaluating how consumer predictions held up against actual 2020 holiday shopping data.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While 2020 was undoubtedly a year like no other, we can still look at last year’s consumer shopping behaviours to better understand evolving spending habits in the future. We can see whether consumers over or underestimated their spending, whether they did as much online shopping as predicted, and where their money was spent compared to their expectations. Understanding the outcomes of these predictions will allow us to better understand how consumers adapted to unprecedented circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prediction: Holiday budgets will maintain or increase\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

When asked, 72% of respondents said that they would maintain or increase their holiday shopping budget from 2019. Despite the global pandemic, consumers seemed ready to spend as usual for the holidays.<\/span> Consumers were also eager to start shopping, with 59% of them saying they’d start the process before November.<\/span><\/p>\n

What actually happened…<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

European consumers stayed true to their spending intentions and contributed to YoY revenue growth during the holiday season. <\/span>Advertisers endorsed consumer enthusiasm, with many large retailers <\/span>opting to start their holiday discount programs earlier. Additionally, the traditional Black Friday sales model was replaced with consistent, lengthier sales and promotions starting in Mid-October.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prediction: Mobile will be a primary platform for shopping\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

In our survey, nearly half of all consumers (44%) said they will conduct most of their shopping on mobile devices. With companies increasingly investing in mobile and in-app experiences, mobile seemed poised to be the frontrunner in driving digital sales in lieu of shopping in person.<\/span><\/p>\n

What actually happened…<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Despite popularity among consumers, mobile was not the main revenue-driving device in November and December, <\/span>according to Adobe Analytics<\/span><\/a>. Instead, a combination of laptop and other devices drove 61% of the total $113.6 billion in revenue. The impact of non-mobile devices was almost double the 39% or $74.6 billion of revenue generated by smartphones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prediction: Online shopping will take precedence over brick and mortar retail\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

One of the most prevalent results in the IAS holiday shopping research was a demonstrated resistance to in-person shopping. Covid-19 has impacted the safety of shopping and has fractured the way consumers consider making purchases. Concerns about the virus seemed likely to affect shopping behaviours:<\/span><\/p>\n