The vast majority of U.S. consumers plan to spend at least as much this year on holiday gifts as they did last year and will be turning to stores for holiday gift inspiration, according to results of the 13th Annual Holiday Shopping Survey from Accenture. The study also found a growing trend of “responsible retail,” with shoppers more concerned about the environmental and social impact of their purchases.
The online survey of 1,500 U.S. consumers found:
- Sustainability factors into shoppers’ decisions. Faster shipping is said to cause greater environmental impact for various reasons, such as the use of planes rather than ground transportation and the shipping of multiple items separately rather than together to expedite delivery. Half of respondents (50%) said they would opt for “greener” shipping to reduce their environmental impact this holiday season (although 34% of respondents said they were unaware of the environmental impact of their purchases). Half of respondents (50%) were also willing to forego using gift wrap to reduce paper. Forty-seven percent said it’s extremely or very important for retailers to demonstrate environmental awareness. Fifty-four percent said they would use recycling services provided by retailers to reduce their environmental impact.
- Fashion rental trend extends to the holidays. Fashion retailers with a rental service could be set to gain this holiday season. For instance, nearly a quarter (24%) of all respondents — and one third (34%) of older millennials — said they would be likely or extremely likely to rent clothes for holiday parties. Also, with people being critical of fashion waste, vintage seems to be “in vogue,” as nearly half (48%) of respondents said they would consider giving second-hand clothing as gifts, and even more — 56% — said they would welcome gifts of this kind for themselves.
