Now in Retail:
Holiday 2021 Trends
Here’s where you’ll find the latest information about the 2021 holiday shopping season and other topics that are crucial to staying in-the-know during this make-or-break time of the year. After all, consumer behaviors have changed over the past couple of years, and they continue to evolve. We’re here to help you understand what’s actually occurring in the marketplace, to help your business thrive through the holidays and beyond.
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The consumer is willing to spend, but the way the consumer shops has changed.
Increased online purchasing, where average selling prices (ASPs) and the amount spent on each transaction already tended to be higher
Fewer shopping visits to stores or online sites per week, leading to stock-up behavior
Inventory concerns, combined with constantly changing needs, have the consumer shopping in the “here and now” mode more than ever before
“Leading into the holiday shopping season, we can expect to see consumers spending more for better products, with fewer items under the tree. The evolving pandemic lifestyle is already influencing what consumers are buying. Layer on reduced in-store shopping frequency, and the continued strength of online shopping, and the critical role of impulse shopping will remain muffled.”
Marshal Cohen
Chief Industry Advisor, The NPD Group
@marshalcohen
Online shopping and free shipping are important to consumers this holiday season.
of consumers will shop online
of consumers will shop both online and in stores
of consumers cited free shipping as something that would influence where they shop for holiday gifts
of holiday shoppers will do more online shipping so they can ship directly to family and friends
Source: The NPD Group / Annual Holiday Study
U.S. Consumption Trends by Week
General Merchandise: Dollar Change Versus Year Ago
Last-minute shoppers came out in a big way during the final week before Christmas.
The week’s growth reveals the limited impact of stock-outs on revenue and the lack of a need for heavy promotions. Higher average selling prices and unit growth show consumers traded up and traded over to alternate products where necessary. At an industry level, there were very few exceptions to this behavior.
Compared to last year, U.S. general merchandise sales revenue increased by 16% in the week ending December 25, 2021.
Source: The NPD Group/Point-of-Sale Early Indicator Report, NPD Universe, week ending December 25, 2021 Discretionary retail includes the following industries: accessories, apparel, auto parts, beauty, consumer technology, DVD/Blu-ray, footwear, housewares, juvenile products, office supplies, small appliances, sports equipment, toys, and video games
NPD’s Annual Holiday Purchase Intentions Study
Gain a valuable perspective on U.S. consumer holiday spending intentions, including trends based on comparisons to recent years, as well as across demographic and socioeconomic cohorts.
Find out…
- How much will consumers spend?
- What will they buy?
- Where and when will they shop?
…and more!