One-third of all shopping searches on Google occur between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., because shopping no longer stops when the malls close. Content supports those searches, as retailers want to show
examples of how the latest features in the newest Lexus work, how Western boots are worn, or how kitchen mixers work. A study that Google will release Friday looks at how consumer shopping behavior
continues to evolve just prior to the holidays.
Online has become the new window shopping experience, per the Holiday Shopper Intentions research conducted by Google and Ipsos MediaCT.
Consumers go online to research products and check for local store availability at retailers like Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Macy's and others, but they also increasingly tune into YouTube or Pinterest
for ideas. Google's video site, especially, has become the window display for a new generation of fashion influencers like Bethany Mota.
REI uses Local Inventory Ads to show local inventory to
people who search nearby stores for products. They connect their inventory feed to Google Shopping to dynamically run ads that represent the actual inventory they have online and in stores, per a
Google spokesperson.
Shopping-related content on YouTube, from unboxing videos to product reviews, continues to be an important part of the holiday research process. Haul videos tend to spike
during key shopping events and hit their peak during Black Friday weekend.
Videos with "haul" in the title have been watched more than 1.1 billion times on YouTube, and views are up 1.7 times
this year compared to last year, per Google. This year, people have watched 5.6 million videos with "haul" in the title. Google said shoppers are also looking for videos on YouTube while in the
store.
Aside from using video to help with research, the study found that people are shopping earlier, and turning to smartphones as personal shopping assistants.
Google said brands
and retailers will begin Black Friday promotions much earlier this year, changing the focus from just one day to a month-long event in November. More than half of consumers surveyed said they will
begin their research before Thanksgiving, with 26% of shoppers having started before Halloween.
Shoppers are consulting more sources before making a decision. Four years ago, consumers used
five information sources, but that has more than doubled to at least 12 sources in the past year. Content has become increasingly critical as more shoppers look for examples and how-to videos to make
a decision on purchases.