Holiday Shopping Survey Identifies Discrepancies Between Consumer and Retailer Expectations

DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bronto Software, the leader in commerce marketing automation and a NetSuite (NYSE: N) company, today announced the release of its "Holiday Planning Report: What Holiday Shoppers Want, How Retailers Plan to Deliver." The new research examines consumer holiday shopping preferences, guides commerce marketers on when to target certain demographics and provides insight into effective holiday promotions.

"More consumer choices and multi-channel purchasing options have disrupted the traditional timing of holiday shopping," said Jim Davidson, head of research at Bronto. "Retailers must understand when and where their customers are shopping and what promotions resonate with particular demographics. Our research confirmed some assumptions and uncovered a few surprises. This insight will help commerce marketers better understand consumer expectations this holiday season."

Holiday Shopper Demographics
The data reinforces how important it is for marketers to understand their target audience and know when those consumers plan to begin their holiday shopping. According to the report, many marketers begin their holiday marketing campaigns long before most shoppers hit the stores, search the Internet or break out the credit card. This may lead to shopper fatigue and frustration, causing engagement and sales to decline during the busiest time of the year. Armed with this data, marketers can ensure their campaigns are relevant and timely. For instance:

• Overall, 19% of customers and 20% of marketers are aligned in kicking off the holiday season, saying they start shopping/marketing before September. From there, 60% of marketers will kick off their campaigns in September or October when only 24% of customers start their shopping.
• Millennials are more likely than other age groups to wait for the highly celebrated Black Friday: 22% of 18-29 year olds start their shopping on that day.
• The largest age group of consumers who start shopping before September are seniors aged 65+ (23%) closely followed by those aged 50-64 (21%).
• Older shoppers also represent the largest group of last-minute shoppers, with 16% of those over 65 and 13% of those 50-64 waiting until after Cyber Monday to start shopping.
• Interestingly, 53% of retailers launch holiday marketing campaigns in September or earlier, but more than half of all shoppers surveyed (52%) said they don't plan to make their first purchase until October or November.

Aligning Holiday Promotions
Customers have grown so accustomed to promotions that a large percentage refuse to shop at a retailer that doesn't offer them. Some highlights include:

• Free shipping is huge - 38% of shoppers say they won't shop with a retailer that doesn't offer it, yet only 28% of all retailers plan to offer free shipping on all purchases. Among online-only retailers, only 18% plan to offer the same deal.
• The interest in flash sales declines with age. More than half (54%) of all Millennials love them versus only 39% of shoppers aged 30-39 and 16% of shoppers aged 50-64.
• An overwhelming majority of retailers (70%) consider "door busters" effective sales tools even though just 28% of holiday shoppers love them.

Mobile Device Disconnect
Consumers say they will use their mobile devices extensively for holiday shopping, but few plan to use them to make purchases. Perhaps the biggest disconnect we uncovered is how retailers expect consumers to use their devices. This disconnect could cost sales during the busiest shopping time of the year because retailers may focus budget and efforts in the wrong places. Some highlights include:

• Only 19% of holiday shoppers plan to purchase from a tablet, and 22% from a smartphone.
• Consumers will use mobile devices to search for the best deal: 65% will look for promotions and coupons, 63% will check prices on that store's website and 61% will search for lower prices at another store or site.
• Conversely, among the functions retailers expect consumers to use their mobile devices for the most is to read reviews (61%). More than 60% of retailers expect shoppers to use their devices to research their return and exchange policies when, in fact, only 19% of shoppers say they will use their mobile device for that purpose.

Bronto partnered with Ipsos, a global market research company, to survey shoppers about their holiday shopping habits, their mobile device preferences and retailer expectations. The survey consisted of 1,000 consumers in the United States. A separate survey focused on how 100 leading retailers plan to meet holiday customer expectations.

For the full results, download "Holiday Planning Report: What Holiday Shoppers Want, How Retailers Plan to Deliver."

About Bronto Software
Bronto Software, a NetSuite (NYSE: N) company, provides a cloud-based commerce marketing automation platform to mid-market and enterprise organizations worldwide. Bronto is the number one ranked email marketing provider to the Internet Retailer Top 1000, with a client roster of leading brands, including Armani Exchange, Timex, Samsonite, Theory and Vince Camuto. The Bronto Marketing Platform is deeply integrated with commerce platforms, such as NetSuite, Magento, Demandware and MarketLive. The company is headquartered in Durham, NC, with additional offices in London, Sydney, New York and Los Angeles. For more information, visit bronto.com.

SOURCE Bronto Software

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