Commentary

Mom's Mindset This Holiday Shopping Season

Let’s be clear, this holiday shopping season still has the “hangover” effect of the election to endure. In a survey that we fielded two days after the Presidential Election, over 45% of moms indicated that the results of this election put the U.S. on the wrong path for the future, and 15% of moms surveyed said that they would spend less this holiday shopping season as a result of Trump’s win.

In our fourth annual Holiday Shopping survey fielded earlier this week, moms told us that they were concerned about the future of the U.S. as well as the stability of the U.S. economy.

Our study findings, which will be released in detail next week, have some important implications for companies who plan to market to moms this holiday season.

1.Perceptions about Health of the U.S. Economy Will Have an Effect on Holiday Shopping This Season:

  • Moms Are Concerned About the Family Financial Situation: A full 40% of moms indicated that they are worried about their family’s financial situation. This is up 15% over last year, when only 35% of moms had the same concern.
  • Moms Will Spend Slightly Less This Year: 44% of moms indicated that they will spend less this holiday shopping season vs. last year, a slight increase from 2015, when 40% of moms said they would spend less.
  • Moms Think U.S. Economy is Unstable: 34% of moms said that the U.S. economy is declining, while only 13% think the economy is improving.

advertisement

advertisement

2. Moms Will Spend More Online This Year Vs. Last Year

  • Moms Will Shop Online: Over 35% of Moms indicated that they will shop for 75% or more of their holiday items online this year. This is up over 16% vs. 2015 responses to that same question. Just 10% of moms indicated that they would exclusively shop offline/in-stores.
  • Moms Love Amazon.com: 28% of moms said they would spend more on Amazon.com this holiday shopping season vs. 2015.
  • Moms Will Shop on Cyber Monday: A whopping 59% of moms said they would shop on Cyber Monday this year. This is by far the most popular day for holiday shopping amongst moms. 48% of moms indicated they would do their holiday shopping on Black Friday.
  • Moms Will Increasingly Buy on Their Phones: 17% of moms said they would use their mobile phones to purchase holiday items this year. This is up over 30% vs. 2015.
  • Moms Will Be Using Apps This Holiday Shopping Season: 42% of moms will be using coupon apps this holiday season and 53% will be using retailer apps to buy this year.
  • Moms Will Use Social Media for Product Ideas & Recommendations: 50% of moms said that they use social media for holiday gift ideas or recommendations. Of those who do, the #1 source for product ideas and recommendations is Facebook. #2 is Instagram; Twitter and Pinterest tie for the #3 slot and YouTube is #4.

3. Moms Want Gift Cards This Holiday Season: 

Wondering what to get a mom this holiday shopping season? Look no further than a gift card to her retailer of choice. 60% of moms indicated that a gift card is their preferred gift. This is up from 56% in 2015 and is the #1 item on Mom’s holiday gift list. Coming in second on the gift wish list is clothing/accessories.

Implications for Brands:

Brands seeking to market to moms this holiday season should focus on online promotion given the significant percentage of moms who will shop online this year. Also, brands should consider utilizing online coupon apps and promotion on Amazon.com to capture moms where they plan to research and purchase.

The full findings of our 2016 Holiday Shopping Study will be available next week. Feel free to respond in comments below or tweet me at @shespeaking if you have questions.

Next story loading loading..