As Black Friday Nears, Shoppers are Nervous about Getting Gifts in Time for Holidays and Making Alternative Plans

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As American consumers head into full holiday shopping mode, nearly 50 percent are concerned about getting holiday gifts for others delivered on time according to a national survey of 900 consumers by QuestionPro. As a result, they are developing alternative strategies, including making their own gifts and experiences, buying products from small local businesses and markets, ordering gifts earlier and sending gift/cash cards instead.

Supply Chain Issue Awareness & Experience Driving Concerns
More than 80 percent of respondents stated that they were aware of shipping delays impacting major retailers. Sixty percent noted that they had experienced delays personally, with 56 percent experiencing more than a 3-day delay. As a result, people are concerned about the holidays; 42 percent are worried that a gift they want to buy won’t be in stock while 48 percent worry that gifts won’t be delivered on time.

Choosing Alternatives to Online & Big Box Retail
Consumers are building contingency plans for continued supply chain issues, and turning to a variety of options, including prioritizing small/local businesses and home-made gifts and food instead of mass-produced products. Overall:

• 30 percent of respondents say they will make their own gifts (crafting), make food/treats or make experiences (dinner, entertaining, etc.)
• 27 percent will turn to local small businesses, street fairs and farmers markets
• 17 percent will send gift/cash cards instead of gifts
• 16 percent will order gifts earlier
• 10 percent will pay more for guaranteed shipping. Of those, 26 percent would pay 5 percent of the gift’s value and 22 percent would pay 10 percent of the gift’s value.

About two out of three consumers (65 percent) believe that handmade products are higher quality than mass-produced.

Sustainability & Packaging Concerns
The data show that apparently consumers have also had enough with the environmental impacts of shipping and packaging. By a magnitude of two to one (43% to 21%), consumers say they are concerned or very concerned about the environmental impact of shopping versus those who are not. More than 80 percent (83) say they are sometimes or often frustrated by packaging that is too big for what is actually inside. And nearly everyone is tired of fighting with packaging, with 82 percent saying they are sometimes or often frustrated by packaging that is hard to open.

“The spirit of Charlie Brown is alive and well this holiday season,” said Dan Fleetwood, President of Research & Insights at QuestionPro. “Consumers are saying no to the hassles, stress and environmental issues with mass consumerism and returning to a simpler time where the joy of the season is shared with friends and family.”

Demographics & Margin of Error
About 50 percent of respondents were over the age of 50; 56 percent were female and about 50 percent of respondents had a household income of greater than $50,000. The survey of U.S. consumers was fielded November 5, 2021. The survey was conducted using technology and multi-method behavioral fraud detection to verify respondents, including 80+ different security variables which accomplish the following: detection and rejection of suspicious IP addresses; digital fingerprinting; Captcha bot detection; event streaming and analysis, copy paste detection and translation of text detection. Mouse movements on desktops were also tracked. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. View full survey results here.

About QuestionPro
Founded in 2006, QuestionPro is a global provider of online survey and research services that help companies make better decisions through data. From free consumer accounts to robust enterprise-level research, we offer tools for the creation, distribution, and analysis of surveys. We also offer platforms for polling, mobile research and data visualization. Fortune 100 companies rely on us to help unlock insights about customers, employees and the marketplace. With offices in the US, Mexico, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and India, we offer customers 24-7 access to highly trained support specialists and engineers. More information is available at www.questionpro.com.

Editor’s Note: An infographic is available for download at:
https://www.questionpro.com/blog/holiday-shopping-trends-2021/

A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/541f50a8-3873-4d72-8c01-53fd1101d166