Applause global survey finds more than one third of shoppers plan to spend less over the festive season, even as they return to the High Street.
Applause, a provider of digital quality testing, today announced the 2022 results of its third annual global survey on festive shopping trends. The research showed a marked increase in consumers returning to the high street. Eighty two percent of consumers said they were comfortable shopping in-store, compared to less than half (46%) in 2020 and 69% in 2021. More than one third (35%) of global respondents, and 38% of UK respondents, said they were planning to spend less on festive shopping this year than in 2021, likely due to volatile economic conditions.
The survey took place in October 2022 with more than 4,750 respondents from across EMEA, the Americas and APAC.
The UK findings revealed that shoppers are embracing the omnichannel with up to three quarters (74%) stating they have used BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) for their festive shopping. Equally, 69% of respondents stated that since the pandemic they’re more inclined to use omnichannel shopping options such as curbside pickup or BOPIS. More than half (56%) cautioned they would leave a brand that didn’t provide a safe omnichannel shopping experience.
Interestingly, while the mobile device (46%) is catching up with the desktop or laptop (54%) as the preferred method of online shopping in the UK, up to half (48%) of UK respondents said it was unlikely they would use a voice activated smart device to purchase gifts. Equally, up to one third (33%) said flat out that they would never use one for that purpose.
Plans for online shopping decrease slightly, but the option continues to reign.
- Ecommerce exploded at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, 91% of consumers said they planned to shop online. That number slightly decreased to 87% in 2022.
- When asked at what point during the online shopping experience they would most likely abandon an online purchase, 29% responded they would if they encountered bugs at any point of the shopping experience, while 44% of UK respondents said they would during the checkout process.
There have been significant behaviour shifts in the way people shop.
- Omnichannel shopping options like curbside pick-up, BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) and BORIS (buy online, return in-store) continue to gain popularity. Globally, 70% of respondents said they have used BOPIS options for festive shopping compared to 58% in 2021.
- Regarding preferred digital shopping methods, 61% said they prefer using a mobile device, 37% prefer desktop or laptop, and 2% prefer to use voice activated smart devices for online shopping. This represents a significant change from 2020 where 53% said they prefer to do their online shopping via laptop or computer with the remaining 47% opting for a smartphone or tablet.
Preferred payment methods vary by region.
- Globally, credit card (35%) is the preferred payment method, followed by debit card (32%), mobile wallet (16%, increased from 14.2% in 2021), and cash (13%).
- In the UK, debit card (42%) payments are more highly preferred than the overall global response.
What matters to online shoppers is changing.
- 62% of respondents said that making purchases with a trusted brand is more important to their online shopping experience than price (32%).
- However, for the first time in 2022, respondents said product reviews were the most important decision-making factor at 34.8% compared to 24% in 2021, and 22% in 2020.
“Retail has become an even more competitive and complex industry as a result of COVID, with shoppers interacting with brands across multiple touchpoints and demanding seamless, unique experiences,” said Luke Damian, chief growth officer with Applause. “The shopping data we’ve collected over the festive period from the past three years shows how that landscape continues to evolve and how poor user experiences and negative product reviews can impact customers’ decisions to purchase from and remain loyal to a brand. More and more, we see that prioritising quality and delivering great digital experiences for all shoppers is essential to brand success.”
About Applause
Applause is a world leader in testing and digital quality. Brands today win or lose customers through digital interactions, and Applause delivers authentic feedback on the quality of digital assets and experiences, provided by real users in real-world settings. Our disruptive approach harnesses the power of the Applause platform and leverages the uTest community of more than one million independent digital testers worldwide. Unlike traditional testing methods (including lab-based and offshoring), Applause responds with the speed, scale and flexibility that digital-focused brands require and expect. Applause provides insightful, actionable testing results that can directly inform go/no go release decisions, helping development teams build better and faster, and release with confidence. Digital-first brands rely on Applause as a best practice to deliver the digital experiences their customers love.
Learn more at www.applause.com.
