• by Ray Schultz , November 15, 2018

Young consumers plan to shop online this year, and email will be a big part of it. But the email must be personalized, judging by a study from Zeta Global and The Relevancy Group.

Of 1,000 consumers surveyed, 37% of those ages 39 to 45 will do 75% of their shopping online, as will 45% of the 33- to 38-year-olds. In general, consumers in the 27-53 age group will do most of their holiday buying online.

Laptops will be the main shopping vehicle, preferred by 34%. Mobile phones are second, for 26%, and desktops third, utilized by 24%. Tablets are last, cited by 15%.

When tablets are paired with phones, mobile clearly dominates.

The study also shows that 80% check their email daily, many doing so multiple times per day.

What drives purchasing on themed shopping days? On Black Friday, consumers are motivated by:

• Best savings — 74%
• To be part of an event — 47%
• Exclusive deals — 16%

• Exclusive deals — 76% 
• Best savings — 64% 
• To be part of an event —32% 

In addition, 65% say they are likely to shop with a brand that identifies them by name and suggests a purchase based on a recent web search, 26% very much so.

But there are some things to avoid. Consumers are irritated by:

• Discounts sent after they made a purchase.     
• Offers on products that are not relevant to them
• Too many reminders about expiring coupons
• Messages/products that are not personalized to them or their interests
• Suggestions for a product they have already purchased

"The key for marketers this season is to use all of the data they have to fully understand their consumers, this means engaging in real-time listening and engagement now to have a positive effect on buying decisions until the end of the holiday shopping period," states Tim O'Leary, SVP of onboarding delivery at Zeta Global.