Online Holiday Shopping Intentions Trending Lower: Conference Board
Americans’ average planned gift spend for the 2021 holiday season -- $648 -- is less than the $673 they spent last year but “historically high,” reported the Conference Board Wednesday. For the first time in a decade, consumers’ online shopping…
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intentions are down year on year; 42% of consumers plan to make at least half of their gift purchases online vs. 52% in 2020. The top three gifts shoppers plan to spend more on this year are gift cards (10%), apparel and footwear (8%) and toys and games (2%). They plan to spend less on sporting goods and tools and hardware (-15%) and jewelry and accessories (-12%). Consumers are anticipating increased social activity “that widens their gift-giving and entertaining circles." With COVID-19 infections easing, and vaccination rates continuing to climb, consumers are more willing to shop in person, said the survey, but spending plans could be “thwarted by severe supply-chain challenges and transportation issues.” If snags persist, Americans “may face bare shelves that send more shoppers back online, and could also mean delays in receiving products purchased in time for the holidays,” it said. Thirty percent of consumers plan to travel this holiday season, with 48% planning to drive, 42% to fly.