Popular Sectors & Products During Holiday Shopping
Holiday shopping habits and behaviors vary depending on different sectors. For example, some sectors in retail might be more popular in a year, considering the needs and interests of consumers during that period.
Here are a few statistics related to different sectors and popular products:
➤ According to Oberlo's article, the largest boost in sales during the 2022 holiday season came from grocery and beverage stores among all retail sectors. Their sales combined experienced a 7.8% growth from the previous year.
➤ In addition to grocery and beverage stores, general merchandise and sporting goods stores were major contributors to the US holiday retail sales in 2022. General merchandise stores saw a 3.8% increase in sales, while sporting goods stores experienced a 3.5% increase.
➤ There was no difference in the top-gaining e-commerce category in the 2020 holiday shopping season.
According to Statista's statistics about the growth of leading online retail categories in the US in 2020, during that period, the category that showed the most significant growth in e-commerce was grocery and beverages, with a sales increase of 216% compared to the previous year.
➤ The second-ranked category was health, fitness, and nutrition, which saw a nearly 116% rise in online sales.
➤ A survey conducted in the US in September 2022 regarding holiday shopping showed that most shoppers were interested in purchasing toys, apparel, and gift cards as Christmas gifts.
More than 75% of respondents stated they intended to buy these items for their loved ones during the upcoming holiday season. (Source: Statista's research on holiday gifts planned to be bought)
➤ According to Adobe's research, hot holiday products during 2022 holiday season were toys, games, electronics, and other products like air fryers, gift cards and so on.
➤ Fashion and apparel continued to be the most popular gift category with a 45% during the holiday season in 2022, followed by toys and games (35%) and beauty items (32%).
Groceries, food, and beverages were the fourth most popular gift category (30%), suggesting a preference for practical gifts or an expectation of more gatherings.
Gift cards and electronics were also popular, tying for the fifth spot (28%). (Source: Ipsos' holiday shopping research in 2022)
Explore "What is a Seasonal Campaign? 11 Seasonal Marketing Ideas" for seasonal campaign ideas for holiday season.
In-Store vs. Online Shopping
With the increasing prevalence of the digital age, online shopping has become the preferred method for purchasing holiday gifts rather than going to physical stores.
See these holiday shopping data about in-store vs. online shopping for further perspective:
➤ Following changes in consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, in-store shopping was expected to become more popular in the coming years. A survey found that approximately 57% of US consumers planned to shop online during the holiday season in 2021 and 2022.
➤ In contrast, 43% of shoppers in North America intended to visit physical stores. (Source: Statista's research about in-store vs. online holiday shopping in the USA.)
➤ According to Statista's research on preferred holiday shopping delivery methods, it was found that 80% of online shoppers in the United States favored having their holiday gift orders delivered to their homes in 2022.
➤ This percentage was slightly lower than the 90% of consumers who preferred home delivery in the previous year. In comparison, 45% of respondents surveyed preferred in-store pickups for online orders.
➤ As another research by Statista about delivery choices states that when questioned about their preferred delivery options for holiday shopping in 2022, almost 75% of US shoppers said they would probably use a standard delivery service.
➤ 52% of shoppers were likely to use a same-day or next-day delivery service provided by the retailer, while 35% indicated that they would purchase online and collect their items in-store.
➤ According to LivePerson's research on holiday shopping trends in 2021, 45% of online consumers wanted to access virtual showrooms during the holiday period.
➤ LivePerson's research suggests that approximately 50% of consumers in Australia, the UK, and the US expressed interest in engaging with virtual showrooms. At the same time, a similar percentage also indicated a desire to view products using augmented or virtual reality technology.
➤ In addition, more than a quarter of users are interested in remote video consultations with personal shoppers, while one in three wants to try Livestream shopping.
Device Preferences of Consumers
Device preferences and popular devices might change during the holiday season as well.
Discover these data related to device preferences of consumers during holiday times:
➤ During the 2022 holiday season in the United States, Cyber Monday was the day with the highest e-commerce conversion rate for online shopping, regardless of the device used. The desktop conversion rate for this event was nearly 7%, while the mobile conversion rate was around 3.6%.
➤ Black Friday came in second place, with a desktop conversion rate of approximately 5.6% and a mobile conversion rate of 3.3%. (Source: Statista's statistics about e-commerce conversion rate on holiday shopping in the US 2022, by device)
➤ As another research by Statista states, when questioned about the devices they planned to use for purchasing holiday gifts in 2022, 70% of online shoppers stated that they intended to use their mobile phone.
➤ More than half of the shoppers planned to use a tablet, while 31% expected to use a laptop or desktop.
➤ According to another study by Statista,, it was anticipated that Millennials would be the generational cohort most likely to engage in mobile commerce during holiday shopping in 2022.
➤ Nearly nine out of ten US Millennials used a phone or tablet to make a holiday purchase that year. Gen Z came in second place, with 85% following closely behind.
See "How to Create Mobile Popups & Boost SEO- 4 Useful Practices" to create engaging mobile popups for holiday campaigns.
Preferred Shopping Platforms
Popular shopping platforms have changed over the years for sure.
Here are statistics of preferred shopping platforms in recent years during the holiday period:
➤ According to a survey in July 2019, 28.3% of US online users initiated their search for holiday season gifts on Amazon.
While in-store was the most popular starting point for holiday gift research, various online channels, including Amazon, Google, and product websites, had been gaining popularity with consumers. (Source: Statista's research on leading channels for holiday shopping)
➤ In a survey conducted in September 2021 by Statista,, it was found that 95% of Macy's app users in the United States intended to use the department store's app for their holiday shopping.
➤ Almost 85% of Amazon's mobile app users planned to use it for purchases during the holiday season, while 73% of Walmart's app users also stated their intention to use it for holiday shopping.
➤ According to the retailer usage in holiday gift categories survey in 2021 by Statista, Amazon was the preferred retailer for holiday shopping among consumers in the United States.
➤ With the exception of alcohol products, every product category included in the study ranked Amazon as the top choice for holiday shopping.
➤ A survey of Statista about the preparation for the 2022 holiday season found that almost 90% of US consumers planned to use Amazon to shop for gifts.
Walmart and Target ranked second and third, with 60% and 47% of respondents planning to use these retailers' websites for their holiday shopping.
Use of Social Media
The use of social media during the holiday season is getting more popular each year. As time goes, social media will have more and more effect on holiday shopping decisions.
Here are a few statistics related to the use of social media during holiday shopping:
➤ As ROI Revolution states, during the Cyber 5 online shopping period in 2022, most shoppers accessed brand websites directly, accounting for 40% of the total online shopping traffic. Approximately 25% of shoppers came through organic search, while 10% came from social media.
➤ According to the usage of social media for holiday gift ideas research by Statista In 2022, around 34% of shoppers planned to use social platforms for gift ideas or to purchase holiday products.
➤ Same study states that approximately 36% of internet users in the United States participated in social media shopping during 2021, indicating that around 90 million individuals purchased on at least one of these platforms.
➤ With social media platforms' increasing popularity, it is expected to lead to the number of social shoppers reaching 100 million by 2023.
➤ As Finical Holdings states,, over half of the internet users between the ages of 18 to 34 have made purchases through social media, with 39% having done so and an additional 15% reporting doing it regularly.
➤ Across all age groups, 35% of US adults have purchased through social media. On the other hand, 60% of those aged 55 and older have shown no interest in shopping through social media.
➤ During the 2022 holiday season, 36% of American shoppers used social media to buy products, an increase from the previous year's 28%.
Furthermore, 37% of holiday shoppers visited social media retailer pages during that time. (Source: Statista's research on social commerce activities)
➤ US consumers were most influenced by Facebook for holiday gift shopping, according to a survey by Statista in 2022. YouTube followed as the second most influential social network. For 35% of shoppers, Instagram was another inspiration for holiday gift shopping.
See "Marketing Holiday Calendar: Dates You Shouldn’t Miss in 2024" to plan your holiday marketing campaigns beforehand.
Inflation & Economic Challenges
Inflation and economic challenges are sure to affect holiday shopping habits as well. People might start shopping less or get driven into cheaper products because of these challenges.
Here are a few statistics related to inflation and economic challenges' effects on holiday shopping behavior:
➤ According to Gartner's article, almost one-third of consumers were planning to spend less during the holiday season in 2022.
➤ The survey also revealed that inflation was the top concern for shoppers, with 48% planning to shop early and 16% planning to shop throughout the year because of rising prices.
➤ As is stated in Accenture's consumer holiday research, 34% of consumers shop earlier to minimize and spread out the cost of holiday shopping.
➤ The same research suggests that 42% of shoppers shop when they get a discount or promotion. Due to economic challenges, getting a discount and special offers might lead consumers to shop for holiday gifts.
➤ According to Ipsos' holiday shopping survey in 2022, 47% of the consumers stated that the increase in prices would have a considerable effect on their holiday shopping.
➤ However, Oberlo's article about holiday retail sales in the US states that although consumer confidence declined and inflation rates increased, holiday retail sales in the US still grew by 5.3% in 2022 compared to the previous year, reaching a record high of $936.3 billion.
➤ According to a survey conducted in September 2022, 63% of retailers anticipated that online holiday shoppers would spend less in total due to inflation during the upcoming holiday season.
Moreover, more than 50% of the retailers surveyed expected consumers to do more comparison shopping. (Source: Statista's research on retailer expectations for online holiday shopping in the USA)
General Holiday Shopping Statistics That Can Be Interesting
➤ In September 2022, a survey on holiday shopping showed that 26% of online shoppers had scheduled their holiday shopping for early November of that year. Additionally, 26% reported starting their holiday shopping in August or earlier. (Source: Statista's research about preferred periods for holiday shopping)
➤ As Accenture's consumer holiday research study stated that 44% of consumers start their holiday shopping earlier to ensure they can get what they need in time for the holidays.
➤ The same study states that 31% of consumers intend to give non-monetary gifts, such as donating food or toys, to a charity campaign, and this is driven by their awareness of those in need and their desire to be charitable.
A considerable percentage of consumers are aware of less fortunate people and consider helping them during the holiday season.
➤ As Adobe mentioned in their holiday shopping study in 2022, holiday season led to online spending of $211.7 billion.
The week before Christmas saw a peak of 7.0% of orders using the "buy now, pay later" option.
➤ The same study states the marketing tactics that drove most traffic during Cyber Week were:
- Paid Search: 28% (+2% YoY)
- Affiliates/Partners: 18% (+6% YoY)
- Email: 17% (+10% YoY)
These holiday marketing statistics reveal that paid research drove the most traffic during Cyber Week, which can encourage you to add paid media to your marketing plan.
Affiliate marketing is also growing as we look at these holiday marketing statistics, and its effectiveness in encouraging customers to purchase is undeniable.
➤ A survey about parents' holiday gift spending behavior by Statista shows that 17% of the consumers stated they plan to spend more than $200 on holiday gifts per child during Christmas.
➤ During the 2021 holiday season, loyalty programs were popular among consumers, as Deloitte states in an article. 81% of consumers decided to shop at specific brands because they were members of their loyalty programs.
➤ The same article states that 61% of consumers joined customer loyalty programs to receive discounts for holiday gifts. Additionally, 43% of consumers indicated that they would join a loyalty program to get access to scarce products.
➤ Busiest holiday sales days research by Statista shows that Black Friday was the most popular sales day in 2022, with over 50% of American shoppers planning to buy gifts. Green Monday had the lowest number of shoppers but saw a significant increase in popularity from 7% to 16% compared to 2020.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, understanding the latest holiday shopping statistics is crucial for keeping competitive in today's market during the critical holiday season for businesses.
Businesses can ensure a prosperous holiday season by following these trends and offering better customer experiences to their target audience. By considering the statistics related to holiday shopping, you can better understand its effects. 🧐
We hope you liked reading these statistics related to holiday shopping! 🤓
Frequently Asked Questions
What are The Popular Items Purchased During The Holiday Season?
Electronics, toys, apparel, and gift cards are common holiday purchases. However, the most well-liked products might change from year to year depending on trends and consumer preferences.
What is The Most Popular Time for Holiday Shopping?
Traditionally, the start of the holiday shopping season is Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving. It lasts until Christmas Eve. The holiday season shopping, however, has begun earlier in recent years, with some people starting as early as September or October.
Are More People Shopping Online or In-Store During The Holiday Season?
Many consumers choose to escape overcrowded malls and long lines by purchasing online throughout the Christmas season, which has grown in popularity. Online sales have surpassed in-store sales on days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Explore these blog posts before you leave:
- 20 Giveaway Ideas for Small Businesses to Win New Customers
- 11 Solid Shopify Marketing Strategies to Drive Sales in 2024
- 11 KPIs for Customer Retention: The Key to Customer Loyalty
- +20 Most Crucial Online Shopping Statistics to Read in 2024
