Consumers Plan to Spend More Globally During the 2019 Holiday Season, Per Toluna Report

Free Shipping and Social Media Influence Holiday Buying

WILTON, Connecticut, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Toluna, an ITWP company and leading consumer intelligence platform provider that delivers insights on demand, has issued new research results highlighting self-reported holiday spending habits of consumers around the globe. The 2019 Global Holiday Shopping Survey found that almost one-fourth of Australians (24 percent), nearly one-third of U.K. respondents (30 percent), and 50 percent of U.S. respondents plan to spend more on holiday shopping compared to previous years. The research — driven by the Toluna QuickSurveys platform — surveyed 3,090 consumers across four key markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Spain. The findings revealed key trends that will help marketers better understand their customers in a competitive retail climate this holiday season.

Brands looking to compete with industry giants like Amazon need to consider how important shipping logistics are to their customers. When asked about shipping preferences, respondents shared that free shipping matters most when it comes to online purchases — over 75 percent cited that shipping costs deter them from making purchases altogether. Over 40 percent of Australians also indicated delivery guarantees before the holidays as an important component, while this fact matters less to U.K. residents (37 percent) and Americans (30 percent).

"Organizations struggle to stay one step ahead of their customers' needs, and this is never more critical than during peak periods including the holiday season," said Jay Rampuria, executive vice president, global business and corporate development for Toluna. "Consumer data is a must-have for brands across all global markets to grasp the full picture of their customers and help them identify the proper insights, strategies and trends necessary to better inform their marketing strategies now and throughout the year."

Interestingly for marketers, social media continues to drive strong sales for U.S. brands, but not other markets. More American consumers have made purchases directly through social media advertisements (56 percent) than those who have not, with 32 percent making purchases directly from influencers. In contrast, Australians (65 percent) and U.K. respondents (56 percent) have never made purchases through social media ads. However, a majority of global consumers surveyed look at brand websites for information on holiday shopping deals. In the U.S., more look for TV commercials (47 percent) than social media (38 percent) for sales and email newsletters (38 percent). Only 18 percent of U.K. respondents look for magazines and print advertisements for seasonal discounts.

Despite their willingness to spend more, Australian consumers are the least excited (60 percent) about the actual shopping itself, compared to U.K. consumers (69 percent) and Americans (75 percent) who are looking forward to holiday shopping. And although marquee holiday sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are around the corner, shoppers across all markets have already begun to spread holiday cheer by reaching into their pockets — more Americans (49 percent) plan to start shopping before Black Friday than Spanish (35 percent), U.K. (36 percent) and Australian (34 percent) residents. Regardless, over 75 percent of Americans plan to shop during Cyber Monday this year, along with 65 percent of U.K. consumers and nearly 40 percent of Australians.

Additional key findings include:

• Sixty-one percent of Spanish respondents plan to pick up gifts for only one-to-five people, while Americans plan to shop for the most, with 30 percent planning to buy for 11 people or more.
• On average, most consumers surveyed across Australia (68 percent), the United Kingdom (64 percent), and the United States (52 percent) plan to give physical gifts, rather than gift cards, cash and checks, or experiences.
• After department stores, most respondents are planning to shop in-store at fashion and clothing stores across all markets, with Spain (78 percent) having the highest percentage. However, Australians plan to do more in-store shopping than Americans and U.K. residents.
• Across all markets, choosing the perfect gift is the most stressful part of holiday shopping, followed by the crowds when shopping in-store, and money spent.
• Over 40 percent of Spanish consumers stated that sentiment is the main driver of their purchasing decisions, while Americans, Australians and U.K. respondents favor price when holiday shopping.
• Over 34 percent of Americans plan to spend more than $500; subsequently only 26 percent of Australians plan for their budgets to reach 550 Australian dollars. However, most U.K. consumers (24 percent) and Spanish consumers (25 percent) are more comfortable in the £101-200 GBP / €101-200 price range, respectively.

For more information on the Toluna 2019 Global Holiday Shopping Survey, please click here. For more information on Toluna, please visit tolunacorporate.com.

Survey Methodology

All figures are from consumer insights provider Toluna from surveys conducted in November 2019. Total sample size was 1,004 U.S. respondents on November 1; 997 British respondents from November 5–7; 463 Australian respondents on November 6 and 626 Spanish respondents on November 7. The research was carried out online as an independent survey on the Toluna QuickSurveys platform.

About Toluna

Toluna provides consumer insights designed to empower success in today's on-demand, global economy. Powered by the perfect fusion of technology, expertise, and the largest global community of influencers at the ready, Toluna delivers rich, reliable, real-time insights to individuals, and companies of all sizes.

Contact: North 6th Agency for Toluna: toluna@n6a.com 

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