News

Brick-and-mortar retail still king for holiday gift shoppers

November 13, 2018

Nearly three quarters of consumers plan to visit a brick-and-mortar retailer for holiday gift buying this year, and an increasing number of shoppers are taking to digital devices as well.

The Citi Retail Services third annual nationwide study on evolving consumer shopping trends reveals 73 percent will hit a store location, while 57 percent additionally will use PCs for holiday shopping needs and 42 percent will tap a mobile device. Virtual assistant devices are also in play with 13 percent of consumers expecting to use Alexa and Siri for shopping, according to a press release.

The survey polled 1,000 U.S. adults on holiday shopping activity.

"What we're seeing is that technology is altogether reshaping the holiday shopping season," said Leslie McNamara, chief marketing officer and head of workforce development, Citi Retail Services, in the release. "Consumers are turning to connected devices to purchase gifts in droves and for retailers, this means rethinking their marketing strategy to encompass a robust strategy — including voice technology — to reach consumers in their evolving channel of choice and ensure a seamless shopping experience."

The survey also reported 37 percent of consumers expect to spend more than last year and 69 percent are kicking off holiday shopping before Black Friday.