Forecast calls for early holiday blitz in stores

Nearly half of holiday shoppers will hit the stores before Nov. 1 — and many will be looking for deals.



That’s according to a report by RetailMeNot, a digital savings destination connecting consumers with retailers, restaurants and brands, both online and in-store. Seventy-three percent of shoppers said they plan to shop in brick-and-mortar stores this season, and 50% said that the deals they find will help them determine which days to shop in-store.



Based on historical trends, RetailMeNot expects holiday shopping and browsing to take off the first week of November. Among consumers surveyed in 2016, 46% said they plan to start their holiday shopping before Nov. 1.



“It’s important for retailers to ensure they enter consumers’ consideration set early in the season,” said Marissa Tarleton, chief marketing officer of North America for RetailMeNot. “Having the right promotional mix is key for reaching these shoppers.”



The study, “Unwrapping Holiday Insights: The 2016 Retailer Guide to Consumer Trends,” finds that 60% of consumers plan to shop sales and promotions, up from 51% in 2015. The top three categories where shoppers wish to see more in-store offers are home and garden, multi-category, and health and beauty.



The survey reveals that shoppers will do just about anything for a good deal during the holidays. In fact, 46% would spend a full day hunting online for the best price, 26% would travel more than an hour to visit a store with a great deal, and 23% plan to line up outside store doors before they open in order to snag the best prices on the hottest products.



Women prefer free shipping options more than men (35% versus 26%), while males tend to lean more toward specific product deals than females (21% versus 14%). Overall, however, free shipping leads the pack with 31% of the general population citing that they are likely to spend more money with a brand or retailer who offers to pick up those costs, followed by a percent off the total purchase (28%) and specific product deals (17%), which round out the top three preferred savings methods.



Download the full report here.



This study is based on findings from the RetailMeNot Promotions Index and internal data collections from over 500,000 offers for 50,000 retailers in the U.S., including engagement insights from millions of consumers. Forecasting models for 2016 holiday predictions are based on data and stats pulled from historical shopper insights in 2014 and 2015.