Holiday shoppers: Do we have to give them everything they want?

I’m not referring to my three young daughters’ Christmas list. (FYI, there will not be a puppy under the tree this year.) I am referring to the holiday shoppers.

Holiday shopping trends

As the holiday season gets into full swing, I thought it would be interesting to compare two holiday trend studies. One study done by Deloitte, the other conducted by Accenture. Both studies were done in October of this year with the hopes of forecasting what we might see this holiday. Both studies predict similar trends: overall spending will be slightly up this year, deep discounts are gold and online shopping will win over in-store.

According to the National Retail Federation, the holiday sales forecast is on track to increase roughly 3% over last year. With the shortened time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year (we are missing a total of 6 shopping days – that might explain why I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off!), shoppers will be taking advantage of this last big shopping weekend. A majority of people started shopping earlier this year and retailers helped their cause by opening on Thanksgiving and offering holiday sales in mid-November.

Discounts are a huge factor in the shopper’s decision making this year. Big box stores try to match the discounts in order to win the sale. But at what cost? Generally, my job is to create value. Not just discounts and BOGO (buy one, get one). Real value. The kind that creates a sustainable and lasting relationship between the Consumer and the Seller. Once you get on the discount train, retailers need to do double the volume to the make up for all they are essentially giving away. It’s a never-ending race. I completely understand needing to keep up with the competition, but deep discounting is just a quick fix.

I wonder: are retailers simply delivering what holiday shoppers want, or have they created a culture where consumers expect and even demand big discounts?

Online shopping jumped this year, overtaking in-store shopping. Smartphones and tablets play a big factor in this trend. In addition, most retailers offer free shipping and returns, so you don’t even have to leave your house to do your holiday shopping. Believe me, I’m all about making it easy. With three little girls, a job, school and community engagements, etc., I’m grateful for anything that makes life a little easier. But what about the face-to-face experience?

As I stated in a previous blog post, I do not like to shop. I steer clear of malls and despise over-crowded parking lots. But I’m old school. I still like to touch, see and feel the product before buying. I like the holiday lights, Christmas music (and a big cup of coffee) as I do my shopping in December. Even with 6 less shopping days, you will never see me holiday shopping in November, let alone Thanksgiving Day!

These holiday trends probably don’t surprise you. One stands out though: the fact that gift cards are the most popular gift on the shopping list is a little disheartening. My kids are still little enough that they are giving homemade banana bread to their teachers this year. I do fully expect that my idyllic view may change when we have three teenage girls in our house. God help me.