Deloitte is predicting that consumers expect to do 51% of their holiday shopping online, marking the first time that online shopping should surpass in-store spending.
When it comes to holiday ads, mass merchandisers account for more than half of the total retail category’s gross ratings points during the holiday months. And not surprisingly, there is a significant increase in mass merchandiser ad spend (and overall retail ad spend) during the holidays compared to the rest of the year. However, that is not the case across all advertiser categories.
A new Kantar Media report finds retailers spent $1.2 billion on ads from Oct. 31 through Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Sunday), down 9% from the same time last year. Steven Perlberg reports the downturn might be because retailers are holding back on spending until later in the season or opening with a bigger digital salvo first with a TV campaign to follow.
The two account for a third of the $535 million in retail spending in November, with Walmart leading at $101 million. Big this year: Social media, especially Instagram. Not so big: Black Friday promotions.
Shortly before Hallmark would have traditionally launched its seasonal commercial heart-warmers, the greeting-card giant made a surprising confession: This year, for the first time ever, it would spend nothing on holiday TV ads.
In further proof that people are losing interest in Black Friday, two new studies report that more consumers are shopping earlier than last year, with more of their spending shifting to online channels.
Exclusives
This year TV ads began Sept. 1, with Kmart trumpeting its layaway program. Search ads started in early October. While some people complain, these early ads work.
Consumers in different parts of the U.S. access media in different ways. Knowing these different habits could help those across the media industry — from local TV affiliates to small businesses to agencies that operate on smaller scales — refine their strategies moving into the holidays.
A First Peek At Holiday Spending: Jolly
Indeed, the annual gift-giving season looks robust, with consumers forecast to up their spending by 5.7%, the best since 2011. Expect ad spending to shoot up as well.
It’s beginning to look a lot like a slow retail holiday season, and the unusually compact calendar combined with a downshift in consumer shopping attitudes have retailers pulling out all stops. This year’s season is as short as it can possibly be, with the window between Black Friday and Christmas Day only 25 days. Last year was a full 32 days.
