The holiday shopping season kicked off last year with a Black Friday (November 29) that saw digital consumers set a new retail spending record: $1.512 billion, according to comScore. Here are the key statistics on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holidays from last year, and forecasts for what we can expect for the 2014 holiday shopping season.
Thanksgiving & Black Friday
2013
$766 million: The total amount of consumer ecommerce spending on Thanksgiving, a 21 percent increase over 2012. (comScore)
44.8 million: The total number of consumers who shopped on Thanksgiving, up 27 percent from 2012. (NRF)
27 percent of consumers said they shopped online on Thanksgiving. (NRF)
7:25 p.m. ET: Time when online sales peaked on Thanksgiving. (IBM)
$1.512 billion: The total amount of digital consumer spending on Black Friday. (comScore)
$1.198 billion: The total amount of ecommerce spending by desktop consumers on Black Friday, a 15 percent increase over 2012. (comScore)
$314 million: The total amount of mobile commerce spending by consumers on Black Friday, 21 percent of total spending. (comScore)
$135.27: Average overall order value on Black Friday, up 2.2 percent from 2012. (IBM)
$132.75: Average order value of tablet users on Black Friday – tablets drove 14.4 percent of all sales, 14.2 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$127.92: Average order value of iOS users on Black Friday – iOS drove 18.1 percent of all online sales, 28.2 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$115.63: Average order value of smartphone users on Black Friday – smartphones drove 7.2 percent of all sales; 24.9 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$105.20: Average order value of Android users on Black Friday – Android drove 3.5 percent of all online sales, 11.4 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$92.51: Average amount spent by Black Friday shoppers referred from Pinterest. (IBM)
$52.30: Average amount spent by Black Friday shoppers referred from Facebook. (IBM)
92.1 million: The total number of consumers who shopped on Black Friday. (NRF)
9:05 a.m. PT: Time when online sales peaked on Black Friday. (IBM)
45 percent: How much of their total holiday shopping the average consumer had completed prior to Cyber Monday. (NRF)
2014 Forecast
$1.35 billion: The total amount of consumer spending on Thanksgiving, up 27 percent from 2013; 31 percent of sales ($418 million) generated via smartphones and tablets (Adobe)
$2.48 billion: The total amount of consumer spending on Black Friday, up 28 percent from 2013; 26 percent of sales ($644 million) generated via mobile (Adobe)
21 percent of holiday sales will occur through Thanksgiving weekend. (PwC)
21 percent of holiday sales will occur during the week of Black Friday. (PwC)
45 percent of consumers plan to shop on Thanksgiving. (Accenture)
66 percent of consumers are likely to shop on Black Friday. (Accenture)
37 percent of consumers plan to shop online on Black Friday. (Accenture)
Cyber Monday
2013
$2.085 billion: The total amount of digital consumer spending on Cyber Monday, making it the largest U.S. online spending day of 2013. (comScore)
$1.735 billion: The total amount of ecommerce spending by desktop consumers on Cyber Monday, up 18 percent vs. 2012. (comScore)
$350 million: The total amount of mobile commerce spending by consumers, 17 percent of total spending on Cyber Monday. (comScore)
$128.77: Average overall order value on Cyber Monday, down 1.1 percent from 2012. (IBM)
$126.30: Average order value of tablet users on Cyber Monday – tablets drove 11.7 percent of all sales, 11.5 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$120.29: Average order value of iOS users on Cyber Monday – iOS drove 14.5 percent of all online sales, 22.4 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$106.70: Average order value of Android users on Cyber Monday – Android drove 2.6 percent of all online sales, 9.1 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$106.49: Average order value of smartphone users on Cyber Monday – smartphones drove 5.5 percent of all sales; 19.7 percent of all online traffic. (IBM)
$97.81: Average amount spent by Black Friday shoppers referred from Facebook. (IBM)
$92.40: Average amount spent by Black Friday shoppers referred from Pinterest. (IBM)
49.2 percent of online sales from U.S. websites were completed by consumers at work, up 2.1 percent from 2012. (comScore)
43.5 percent of online sales from U.S. websites were completed by consumers at home, down 3.7 percent from 2012. (comScore) What products shoppers bought most, by category (comScore):
- Consumer electronics
- Video game consoles and accessories
- Home and garden
- Apparel and accessories
- Sports and fitness
2014 Forecast
$2.6 billion: The total amount of Cyber Monday online sales, up 15 percent from 2013, making it once again the largest online sales day of the year; 20 percent of sales ($520 million) generated via mobile. (Adobe)
32 percent of Canadian consumers will purchase online from U.S. retailers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (UPS Canada)
Holidays
2013
$46.5 billion: Total online retail holiday spending on desktop devices, up 10 percent from 2012. (comScore)
42 percent of spending was online; 55 percent of spending was in physical stores (PwC).
12: The number of sources of information shoppers referenced before making a purchase. (Google)
2014 Forecast
$61 billion: Total amount of online retail spending for November and December, up 16 percent from last year – $53.2 billion from desktop devices (a 14 percent gain from 2013) and
$7.9 billion from mobile devices (a 25 percent increase over 2013). (comScore)
$931.75: Total amount online shoppers expect to spend during the holiday.
$804.42: Amount the average person celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa and/or Hanukkah will spend during the holiday, up 5 percent from the actual amount the average person spent in 2012, $767.27. (NRF)
$459.87: The average amount consumers plan to spend on gifts for family members. (NRF)
$248: The average amount consumers will spend online. (Nielsen)
$172.74: The average amount a person will spend on gift cards, up from $163.16 in 2013. Consumers will spend $47.84 on average per card; adults over age 65 will spend the most on gift cards during the holidays ($204.59); department stores (37.7 percent), restaurants (34 percent), and coffee shops (20.6 percent) are the top three most popular gift card types among shoppers. (NRF)
$126.68: The average amount shoppers say they will spend on themselves during the holidays. (NRF)
$80: The average amount consumers plan to spend on gifts for friends. (NRF)
$30.43: The average amount consumers plan to spend on gifts for pets. (NRF)
$26.23: The average amount consumers plan to spend on gifts for co-workers. (NRF)
19 percent of consumers have, as of September, already spent between $100 to $500 on gift purchases.
40.4 percent of consumers planned to begin their holiday shopping before Halloween – mostly to spread out their spending, as well as to avoid holiday crowds and stress; 40.9 planned to begin their shopping in November; and 15.5 percent planned to start in the first two weeks of December. (NRF)
40 percent of consumers start shopping in November; 15 percent start in September; 19 percent in October; and 24 percent in December. (PunchTab).
50 percent of holiday sales will occur between Thanksgiving and Christmas. (PwC)
45.6 percent of holiday shoppers hadn’t started shopping as of November 10, down from 46.2 percent in 2013 and “the lowest in the survey’s seven-year history.” (NRF)
27 percent of women started their holiday shopping early, compared to 12 percent of men. (Nielsen)
8 percent of holiday sales will take place after the holidays. (PwC)
33 percent of American shoppers who earn more than $50,000 per year will spend $978; 67 percent American shoppers who earn less than $50,000 per year will spend $377. (PwC)
32 percent of households plan to spend between $250 and $500 during the holidays. (Nielsen)
77 percent of consumers plan to spend the same or more than last year. (PunchTab)
41 percent of shoppers plan to spend more in 2014 than they did in 2013 (PwC)
17 percent of Millennials plan to spend more online this year; 15 percent of Gen X plan to spend more, 12 percent of Baby Boomers plan to spend more; and 7 percent of the Greatest Generation plan to spend more. (Nielsen)
10 percent of consumers plan to spend more this year than they did last year, led by multicultural households will account for 43 percent of the projected extra spending (17 percent African-Americans; 13 percent Asian-Americans; 13 percent Hispanic). (Nielsen)
56 percent of consumers plan to shop online, up from 51.5 percent in 2012 and “the most in the survey’s 13-year history.” The average consumer plans to do 44.4 percent of their shopping online, “the most since NRF first asked in 2006.” (NRF)
43 percent of spending will be online; 50 percent of spending will be in physical stores. (PwC)
80 percent of shoppers say coupons and discounts are important (in some way) to their holiday shopping plans. (PunchTab) 84 percent of shoppers say price is the biggest factor in choosing a place to purchase gifts. (PwC)
43 percent of shoppers say seasonal deals and buy one, get on free (BOGO) motivate purchases. (PwC)
58 percent of consumers are undecided about buying, or will purchase less, from the stores they bought from last year. (PunchTab)
2–4: The number of stores or websites shoppers will visit before purchasing. (PwC)
71 percent of shoppers will visit major online retailer websites. (PwC)
58 percent of consumers will shop at online-only retailers. (Accenture)
37 percent of people planning to purchase toys will do their shopping online. (Harris)
71 percent of consumers plan to take part in webrooming – browsing online before going into a store to make a purchase. (Accenture)
68 percent of consumers plan to take part in showrooming – going to a store to see a product before buying it online. (Accenture)
63 percent of shoppers research gifts/products in-store; 46 percent research via online search. (SDL)
63 percent of consumers will use a desktop computer or laptop to make purchases or assist with holiday shopping. (Accenture)
51 percent of consumers plan to purchase toys as gifts this year; 90 percent of parents of children age 9 or younger, 88 percent of parents of children ages 10–12, and 67 percent of parents of children ages 13–17 plan to buy toys. (Harris)
52 percent of pet owners plan to purchase their pet toys, treats, or other products as holiday gifts. (Harris) What shoppers will spend money on, by category (PwC):
- 61 percent: Clothing
- 58 percent: Gift cards
- 39 percent: Traditional toys
- 36 percent: Personal electronics
- 31 percent: Media and entertainment
What parents will buy their children this year (Harris):
- 50 percent: Children’s books
- 47 percent: Games for consoles
- 42 percent: Arts and crafts supplies
What impacts where consumers decide to shop (NRF):
- 74.7 percent: Sales or price discounts
- 47.9 percent: Convenient locations
- 42.3 percent: Free shipping/shipping promotions
- 41.2 percent: Low prices
- 30.3 percent: Helpful, knowledgeable customer service
- 25 percent: Easy-to-use mobile websites
What do shoppers want to receive (NRF):
- 62 percent: Gift cards
- 52.5 percent: Clothing
- 43.1 percent: Books, CDs, DVDs, or video games
- 34.6 percent: Electronics
- 24.8 percent: Jewelry
25 percent of consumers will seek holiday purchase assistance from social networks; 40 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds will seek gift ideas from social media. (Adobe)
13 percent of consumers will seek holiday purchasing help from social media sites. (Accenture)
24 percent of Twitter users plan to spend $1,000 or more over the holiday shopping season, compared to 10 percent for non-users. (Twitter)
85 percent of people ages 40–54 are most likely to research a product on a computer. (SDL)
45 percent of people ages 30–39 are most likely to research a product on a tablet. (SDL)
42 percent of people ages 18–29 are most likely to research on a smartphone. (SDL)
55.7 percent of smartphone users plan to use their device for holiday shopping, up from 53.8 percent in 2012 – 35.8 percent plan to research products/prices; 23.9 percent plan to redeem coupons; 19.1 percent plan to purchase items. (NRF)
75 percent of shoppers plan to use their smartphones in-store this holiday season. (Google)
75 percent of smartphone owners plan to use their phones for some part of their gift-finding and buying experience;
91 percent of men and 85 percent of woman ages 18–34 and women plan to use their smartphones during the holiday shopping season;
86 percent of dads and 75 percent of moms will do mobile shopping. (Placecast)
24 percent of consumers plan to use a smartphone for holiday shopping. (Accenture)
63.2 percent of tablet owners plan to shop for holiday gifts using their device – 47.4 percent will research products; 33 percent will purchase items. (NRF)
39 percent of smartphone owners will search for an item in a search engine to find a local retailer during the holidays. (Placecast)
90 percent of consumers expect a consistent customer experience across channels and devices they use to interact with brands (SDL)
66 percent of shoppers will pay more for a better customer experience. (SDL)
Bottom line: The key to winning consumer dollars this year will be understanding what your consumers want and need, and then providing great customer experiences and service to shoppers.
Sources
- Accenture: U.S. Consumers Plan to Increase Holiday Spending This Year, Supported by Greater Optimism about Personal Finances
- Adobe Digital Index: 2014 Holiday Shopping Prediction
- comScore: Black Friday Billions: $1.2 Billion in Desktop E‑Commerce Spending Marks First Billion-Dollar Online Shopping Day of the 2013 Holiday Season
- comScore: U.S. Desktop + Mobile E‑Commerce Spending on Cyber Monday Topped $2 Billion While Black Friday Surpassed $1.5 Billion
- comScore: Cyber Monday Jumps 18 Percent to $1.735 Billion in Desktop Sales to Rank as Heaviest U.S. Online Spending Day in History
- comScore: 2013 Holiday Season U.S. Desktop E‑Commerce Spending Reaches Record $46.5 Billion, Up 10 Percent vs. Year Ago
- comScore Forecasts 16 Percent Growth to $61 Billion in 2014 U.S. Holiday E‑Commerce Spending on Desktop and Mobile
- Harris: Anticipated Holiday Spending Remains Consistent Compared to Last Year
- IBM 2013 Holiday Benchmark Reports
- Google: 2014 Holiday Shopper Research: Shopping Never Sleeps
- Google: Holiday Is (Almost) Here: 5 Shopping Trends Marketers Should Watch
- NRF: Holiday Shoppers to Spend More than $31 Billion on Gift Cards This Year
- NRF: Bargain Hunters Holding Out for Hot Holiday Deals
- NRF: Gift Givers Plan to Splurge on Friends, Family This Holiday Season
- NRF: Thanksgiving Weekend Shopping, By the Numbers
- NRF: Insights on Retailer, Consumer Intentions For Holiday 2014
- Nielsen: Christmas in October? Not Quite, But 22% of Americans Are Already Shopping
- Placecast: Half of All Americans Have Heard Of In-Store Beacons, and 15 Percent of Cell Phone Users Have Engaged with Them
- PunchTab: 2014 Holiday Shopping Insights & Recommendations
- SDL: The importance of consistent, omni-channel customer experiences this holiday shopping season
- Twitter: How Tweets drive sales: new holiday shopping research
- 44 Per Cent of Canucks Prefer to Shop Canadian
Did any of these statistics surprise you? What are your predictions for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the 2014 holiday shopping season? Tell us in the comments?