Shoppers cite “convenience” as a key reason to shop online during Cyber Monday sales.
Customers are gearing up for Black Friday with 42% of customers planning to shop.
ChargeItSpot, a provider of cell phone charging stations for major retailers, events, and other indoor public venues, has announced the results of its “2017 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Shopping Report.”
The study asked consumers if they would be shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, what they would be buying, how they searched for the best sales, and how much they planned on spending.
ChargeItSpot collected responses from more than 350 shoppers at shopping malls across the country using its phone charging stations. Below are the key takeaways from the study.
Shoppers don’t mind stores opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day!
Many retailers start their Black Friday sales early, even opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day. But will more shoppers take advantage of Thanksgiving hours? Some 57% said they were likely to shop on Thanksgiving, according to ChargeItSpot’s poll, while 44% said unlikely.
When asked about their overall feelings on retailers opening their doors on Thanksgiving, 60% of shoppers felt positively about this while 40% felt negatively.
“In the past, retailers who opened their doors before Black Friday received a lot of backlash from consumers,” said Douglas Baldasare, CEO and founder of ChargeItSpot. “It appears that tide might be turning here, with a majority of people now comfortable starting their shopping on Thanksgiving.”
When asked if they would be taking advantage of holiday sales, over 70% of consumers said that they would. Some 42% of consumers said they plan to shop on Black Friday, 14% on Cyber Monday, and 18% said both.
“According to the NRF, more than 165 million people are planning to shop over the Thanksgiving weekend for holiday sales,” added Baldasare. “Our data bears this out, with most shoppers saying they plan to shop Thanksgiving day through Cyber Monday.”
Shoppers were also asked how much they plan on spending overall on Black Friday. A plurality of shoppers (31%) said they would spend under $100. Other responses included $100 – $300 (25%), $300 – $500 (17%), $500 – $700 (10%), more than $1,000 (10%), and $700-$1,000 (8%).
Meanwhile, 32% of shoppers said they would primarily be shopping at department stores on Black Friday, and 31% said they would be shopping at electronic stores, followed by clothing or accessory stores (27%), outlet stores (7%) and Big Box super stores (4%).
“People often decry the decline of department stores, but our data show that they are still relevant, particularly around the Holiday Season,” said Baldasare.
When asked where shoppers would primarily look for Black Friday deals and discounts, 37% of shoppers cited Black Friday Ads websites like TheBlackFriday.com and BFAds.net as their main source for sales promotions. Other responses included mobile coupon apps (20%) like Retale and RetailMeNot, social media (15%), online deal sites (13%), newspapers/magazines (9%), and radio/TV (6%).
Electronics are the most in-demand Black Friday and Cyber Monday item.
When asked why shoppers might prefer shopping on Cyber Monday over Black Friday, 35% of shoppers said it was more convenient to shop online. Other responses included: no long lines (26%), no wild shopper behavior (18%), better discounts/incentives (14%), and better product choices (8%).
Shoppers were also asked how much they plan on spending overall for Cyber Monday. A plurality of shoppers (27%) said they would spend between $100-$300. Other responses included under $100 (22%), $300 – $500 (18%), more than $1,000 (12%), $500 – $700 (11%), and $700-$1,000 (11%).
“Every year, people ask themselves if they will get a better deal shopping on Black Friday versus Cyber Monday. It really depends what you are looking to buy. Both days offer great prices on hot holiday items,” added Baldasare.
