• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, December 20, 2018

Despite the increase in money spent online during the holiday season, only 22% said they will make between 26% and 50% of their holiday purchases online this year, according to recent findings.

Convenience at 58%, the ability to easily find things at 51%, variety and choice at 47%, good deals at 43% and trust at 40% -- up from 30% in 2017 -- are the reasons for spending their money through these channels.

About 2,600 consumers were surveyed in November 2018 to gain insight into their online shopping behavior, experiences with counterfeit products, and their perception of brands. The findings from the study, conducted by MarkMonitor and Clarivate Analytics, include responses from the U.S., UK, Germany, France and Italy.

While consumers have increased the amount spent online, many have concerns about counterfeit products, fake links in search and social advertisements, and about using their credit cards.

In fact 65% cite concerns about hackers who steal personal data, while 59% cite worries over identity theft, and 56% cite thieves who scam people out of money as the top reasons for not buying online.

When asked about the channels in which they shop, consumers are most confident in relying on security across online marketplaces. About 88% said they were confident about security in online marketplaces, but 68% of consumers admit to unintentionally buying fake products intended for Christmas gifts.

About 63% of those participating in the survey said they were confident in search results, followed by clicks on links in search results at 63%, smartphone apps at 59%, clicks on paid-search ads at 38%, and clicks on links in social media post at 38%.

For those consumers who show no or low confidence in these channels, they said they were concerned about buying fake goods. Clicking on a search link ranked the highest at 62%, followed by paid-search ads at 61%, sponsored social media advertisements at 61%, links in social posts at 60%, online marketplaces at 56%, and smartphone apps at 52%.

Security concerns cause people to abandon an online cart. While the main reasons for abandoning carts are related to price and time, 27% said they had abandoned carts over concerns while on the payment page. About 21% said they were concerned about the legitimacy of the website.

When it comes to validating trustworthy websites, many consumers know enough about online safety to read the reviews and rely on secure socket layer (SSL) certificates. In fact, 63% said they check reviews, while 43% check for a SSL certificate, 43% look for the return policy, and 39% analyze grammar and spelling.

By device, smartphone is the most used devices in the U.S. at 62%. Smart TVs in the U.S. come in at 10%.

About 27% of consumers will spend between $251 and $500 on Christmas gifts this year, and 91% of shoppers globally will buy something online. About one-quarter will purchase between 26% and 50% of their gifts online.

About 37% of consumers said they will spend their Christmas budget in online marketplaces, compared with 17% on brand websites. About 38% will spend their budget in physical stores this year, down from 41% in 2017.