The clock is ticking down on the 2012 holiday gift-giving season, but there are still opportunities for retailers to move merchandise. According to coupon website RetailMeNot.com, over half of consumers still have about half of their shopping to do.
According to the study, 55% still have a lot of work to do before they can finish wrapping their purchases.
“Consumers can still make those big purchases both online and in-store for everything from apparel to consumer electronics to sporting goods, but be prepared to see product inventories start to thin out the closer we get to Christmas,” said Trae Bodge, senior editor for The RetailMeNot Insider. “Consumers also need to make sure they pay attention to merchants’ shipping policies as time is running out on the many free shipping deals that guarantee on-time delivery of gifts.”
From RetailMeNot.com, here are the percentages in play during the final days of the shopping season:
* 55% of holiday shoppers still have half of their gift purchases to make.
* 14% of holiday shoppers have yet to complete any of their shopping.
* Males are more likely than females to have not started shopping (17% versus 11%).
* Only 10% of consumers have completed all of their holiday shopping.
* Nearly 1 in 3 holiday shoppers (29%) have already spent more money than expected this holiday season.
* Parents are more likely than those without children to express they have spent more money than they expected so far (37% versus 24%).
* Women are more likely than men to have spent less money than they expected so far (29% versus 21%).
* When it comes to making gift selections, 21% of holiday shoppers say their spouse or significant other is the most difficult to buy for, followed by 13% who report that extended family members are the most difficult.
* Men are more likely than women to express that their spouse or significant other is the most difficult to buy for (24% versus 18%).
* Consumers may not get exactly what they asked for this year, as more than half of respondents said they are more likely to give gifts that are a surprise (52%) versus gifts that people ask for (48%).
* More than 6 in 10 respondents (64%) say they factor shipping and gift-wrapping costs into the budget they have for the items they choose instead of paying extra for these services after buying a present.
* Over half of respondents (53%) feel that it is not worth paying extra to have an item purchased online gift-wrapped.
Source: RetailMeNot.com
RBR-TVBR observation: If there’s still time for retailers to sell, then there’s still time to sell advertising to retailers. Best to make the very most of the holiday season, before the lean winter months come and the traditional slump in marketing they typically bring with them sets in.
