• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 21, 2022

The festive season is here. And email marketers are facing huge competition for consumer mindshare. 

For instance, 83% of shoppers check email and social media while watching TV, reducing the attention span for all, judging by Holiday Report, a study from Samba TV, done by HarrisX. And 33% shop online while enjoying TV.

Moreover, brands need to take account the demographic differences at play this year. Email teams are in luck if they have Gen Zers on their list and plan to market to them.  

Gen Z is most likely to have made mobile purchases — 89% have done so. And they’re clearly looking forward to the holiday — 88% plan to spend the same or more money on holiday shopping this year, beating out millennials and parents. 

And Gen Z plans to spend more in sheer dollars -- $1,418, again $377 more than the average adult. Of course, Gen Z also plans to devote 39% of their budget to themselves. 

In addition, 17% of Gen Z plan to do most or all of their shopping online, and 35% most or all in-store. 

In contrast, millennials are spending the same or more this year as they did in 31%, for a total of $1,139. That’s $98 more than the average adult.  

Like younger shoppers, millennials will spend 39% of their holiday budgets on themselves. But they beat Gen Z in one regard — 22% will do all their shopping online. Meanwhile, 85% have purchased on mobile.  

On another front, 20% of millennials have made direct purchases through their connected TVs, and 33% have bought through QR codes shown on a TV ad.  

The third segment surveyed in this report is parents. That could include both Gen X and Baby Boomers.  

Only 74% of this group plans to spend the same or more as last year. And the total average spend is $1,181. 

Of these consumers, 31% will do most or all of their shopping in-store, and 23% online. And they will use 32% of their holiday budget on themselves.

In contrast to other generations, 41% those ages 55-70 have purchased via mobile. 

Overall, shoppers plan to lay out these sums on:

• Children -- $356
• Significant Other -- $193
• Myself -- $183 
• Extended Family -- $117 
• Parents -- $108 
• Friends -- $49
• Coworkers -- $15

HarrisX surveyed 2,505 U.S. consumers From August 29-September 1.