This year's holiday shopping trends uncovered by PwC Research
04 December 2017
PwC has released its 2017 US Holiday Outlook, which explores likely holiday season shopping behaviours. Reflecting what more than 2,000 consumers told us in this third annual survey conducted by PwC Research, the analysis offers details on:
- Where and when consumers will shop
- What drives their purchasing decisions
- The types of gifts they will buy
- Holiday travel and entertainment plans
This consumer-reported data is analysed - and findings are overlaid with additional PwC research and analysis - to provide some insight to retailers. This year, PwC Research also conducted a separate survey of over 300 young Gen Z consumers (aged 13-16) to analyse their differentiated preferences.
Here’s what’s trending for the 2017 holiday season:
Make it easy for me: From product discovery to payment to shipping, consumers are in the driver’s seat
At the holidays and all year, a community of commerce: The store morphs into a more contemporary version of its former self
Holiday habits uncover generational preferences: Young consumers enjoy travel; older consumers like dining out
Young Gen Z consumers forge their own path: Visual social networks dominate product discovery
Generous millennial dads put family first: Early tech adopters lead shopping via smart home devices
Home for the holidays ... or maybe not: Off to grandma’s or a winter vacation
Alexa, where’s my stuff? More distribution centres closer to population centres mean fewer last-mile snags
Goodbye traditional advertising, hello influencers: Consumers want the unvarnished truth from their peers
Love me, love my pet: Pets aren't forgotten in the holiday shopping frenzy
In addition, this year PwC Canada launched their Holiday Outlook survey, exploring the likely shopping behaviours retailers need to be aware of over the season, based on what over 1,000 Canadian consumers told us in a separate survey conducted by PwC Research.
To download the full 2017 US Holiday Outlook, click here, or for more information, contact Catherine Moore.
