For the International Holiday Shopping Report 2018, over 3,000 consumers were surveyed about their shopping habits and preferences during the end of year holiday season and beyond. According to the press release, the results show a clear preference for digital shopping channels in combination with physical ones in order to benefit from fast availabilities online, compare prices and have a real experience in-store.

Other key findings:

• Black Friday is the single most significant shopping “event” internationally: 39% of respondents globally say they plan to shop on Black Friday. In Brazil, the percentage of Black Friday shoppers is the highest (67%), followed by the UK (40%), Germany (40%) and the US (38%). In Hong Kong, consumers prefer to take advantage of Boxing Day sales (33%).

• The holiday shopping season is a popular time to try new shops and items: 77% of respondents globally say they would try new shops and items.

• Consumers look for a true experience in-store: In all countries, the most important factor which would influence a consumer’s decision to shop in-store is price (59%), followed by quality of products (45%) and special offers or discounts (32%).

• The vast majority shop digitally: Over two thirds (68%) of consumers globally expect to make their purchases during the holiday season digitally either via a desktop site, mobile app, or mobile site. Overall, 18% plan to shop in traditional stores, with 22% of US respondents planning to shop in a physical outlet, but only 8% of German consumers intend to do so.

• Omnichannel is key for consumers globally: 82% of consumers globally said they were either likely or very likely to combine various channels during the purchasing process – with Malaysia proving particularly fond of cross-channel shopping (96%), followed by Brazil (92%).

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