Mastercard: Holiday shoppers in a more ‘mindful’ mood this year

Americans will be more conscious of where they shop this holiday season.

Seventy-seven percent of Americans will choose to shop local this year, while 75% plan to be more conscious about where they shop, favoring businesses that share their personal values, according to a new Mastercard survey. 

Holiday shoppers are planning to prioritize small (78%), minority-(68%), women-(68%) and Black-owned (66%) businesses, the survey showed. And 53% note that they would rather not receive a gift at all than to receive one from a retailer whose personal values don’t align with their own.

In addition, 73% of shoppers would give up their gifts altogether to spend face-to-face time with friends and family this holiday season. 

Additional insights from the Mastercard study are below.

•    Consumers See the Holidays as a Reprieve: 55% of consumers see the holidays as a time to celebrate and unwind after a stressful year, and 71% are looking forward to an overall slower-paced holiday season. 

More than half (58%) say they are less stressed about shopping compared to years past and are leaning into the unique holiday season by updating old traditions (51%), embracing virtual celebrations (29%), planning contactless gift exchanges (23%), and more.

•    Touchless Payments/Shipping: Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed plan to shop in stores that have contactless payments options. Additionally, shoppers are prioritizing gift cards and mobile payments options, with 64% noting that they are actively trying to not give cash as a gift this year.   

Also, 52% of respondents said they are planning to ship more gifts to their loved one's homes this year to avoid person-to-person contact.

•    Spending: 59% say that they will likely spend the same or more money on holiday shopping this year compared to last, while 43% said they have more to spend on holiday gifts because they haven’t spent as much as usual over the course of 2020.

•    Some shoppers are looking for a morale boost –hoping to cheer up family and friends (43%) and get in the holiday spirit by shopping (40%).

•    Online Shopping: 82% say they are likely to shop online this year, with 55% expecting to complete most of their shopping online. 

•    While 88% of those cutting back on in-store shopping say they will miss elements of that experience, such as the holiday music and the ability to touch and feel items before purchasing, the benefits of staying home outweigh the cons – such as waiting in lines (74%), pushy or rude customers (65%) and finding parking (56%).
 

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