2020 U.S. Holiday Ecommerce Trends

 
Factoring in COVID-19, it’s clear that this year’s shopping patterns are different than what we’ve seen in previous years. There has been a lot of acceleration in ecommerce — options like buy-online, pickup in-store and contactless shopping are now mainstream, and expectations for free and easy returns continue to grow. With so many people doing their holiday shopping online, brands and retailers have shifted business models and fulfillment tactics to prepare for the peak days of ecommerce spending. The outcome of this year’s holiday season is one of the many unknowns of 2020, but the disruptions in shopping methods are yielding new innovation and opportunity. See the full infographic to learn about U.S. ecommerce trends and how we expect consumer habits to differ during this unique holiday season. To discuss our eCommerce Fulfillment Logistics solutions in more depth, contact us.

Consumer Profile and Spending Habits

• Ecommerce holiday sales are projected to grow by 40% in November and December, well above the +14% record growth last year
• 61% of consumers are expected to do most of their holiday shopping online
• 55% of consumers will spend the same or more this holiday season
• 61% of shoppers plan to begin holiday shopping before Thanksgiving and 39% plan to begin shopping on or after Thanksgiving
• Major Influences to Try New Stores/Online Retailers:
  • Better prices | 62%
  • Unique products | 44%
  • Discounts/coupons | 44%
  • Stock availability | 43%
• Every generation is willing to pay extra for environmentally friendly products: 82% GenZ, 76% Millennials, 63% Gen X, 54% Baby Boomers, 48% Seniors
• Most Anticipated Holiday Gift Categories:
  1. Clothing and accessories | 21%
  2. Gift cards | 19%
  3. Food and beverage | 14%
  4. Electronics and accessories | 13%
  5. Toys and hobbies | 13%
  6. Home goods | 8%
  7. Health and wellness | 7%
  8. Pet products | 5%

E-Commerce Returns and Delivery Service

• 70% prefer free return shipping to make product returns more convenient
• 45% prefer buy online, return in-store/curbside vs mailing a return
• Preferred Delivery Service:
  • Standard delivery | 73%
  • Same-day or next-day delivery from retailer | 43%
  • Buy online, pickup in-store | 35%
  • Curbside pickup | 27% (up from 11% in 2019)
• 85% of shoppers prefer free shipping vs 15% prefer fast shipping

  *Information from Deloitte, PwC and Statista was used to create this infographic on 2020 U.S. Holiday Ecommerce Trends.