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Holiday time getting more digital and what it means for retailers

If you whip out your smartphone during the holiday meals at least half the table will likely be annoyed unless you're doing photo snapping.

December 24, 2015

If you whip out your smartphone during the holiday meals at least half the table will likely be annoyed if you’re texting, emailing or checking out Facebook. But if you grab the device to take some Instagram shots and sharing then everyone will likely be on board.

That’s the reveal of a technology influence study from Sequence. Of those polled, 44 percent say it's not appropriate to have the smartphone at the table, but 31 percent are ok with using them for snapping holiday moments to share digitally.

While the study focused on consumers' view of technology use, the findings can prove valuable to retailers.

"The influence of digital experiences in our culture continues to push boundaries and possibilities, and our survey showed us that technology’s role is important to consumers, but they are drawing lines — especially during the holidays," said Jojo Roy, Sequence CEO, in an announcement.

"As brands develop new products and technologies, they should evaluate what matters to customers and then decide how technology can play a meaningful role. In other words, don’t just build another app for the sake of building an app — give it purpose and make sure it fits into people’s lives."

The survey found that classic holiday traditions remain valuable to generations but technology-inspired pastimes are coming into play. The survey states that a small group of consumers are embracing the digital holiday experience and using electronic devices to manage their tasks and create more time for friends and family.

Key findings also revealed include:

• 33 percent would be lost without their smartphone during holiday travels.
• One in three consumers said they would sleep instead of meeting friends for drinks, baking cookies and other holiday activities if mobile technology helped save three hours of their time.
• 46 percent rely on apps like Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps to guide them to their destination.
• 52 percent say thanks to social media, when they see family from out of town, they feel like they know what’s going on in their lives.
• 25 percent say instead of a traditional phone call they will video chat with their family.
• 22 percent of men keep a family calendar to track holiday activities.