Consumers integrate tech into their purchasing habits
Consumers are increasingly powering up their computers and mobile devices or simply interacting with their virtual assistant during the holiday season, according to results from a nationwide Citi Retail Services Holiday Survey. While nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of consumers still plan on visiting a brick-and-mortar store to purchase holiday gifts, a sizable 57 percent additionally plan on turning to their computer to shop, 42 percent to their mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, and 13 percent to their virtual assistant, such as Alexa or Siri, to facilitate their holiday shopping needs.
While millennials are at the forefront of this shift in the holiday path to purchase, Gen Xers (born between 1961-1981) are right there with them. Sixty percent of millennials and 53 percent of Gen Xers plan on using their laptops or computer for their holiday shopping this year, 55 percent of millennials plan on using a mobile device, followed by 48 percent of Gen Xers and when it comes to voice assistants, Gen Xers take the lead with 22 percent employing voice commands, surpassing millennials at 17 percent.
“What we’re seeing is that technology is altogether reshaping the holiday shopping season,” said Leslie McNamara, chief marketing officer and head of workforce development at Citi Retail Services. “Consumers are turning to connected devices to purchase gifts in droves and for retailers, this means rethinking their marketing strategy to encompass a robust strategy – including voice technology – to reach consumers in their evolving channel of choice and ensure a seamless shopping experience.”
Citi Retail Services surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults for the third-annual Holiday Survey.
