A Closer Look at Hanukkah Shoppers + Infographic

With the Festival of Lights commencing on the evening of December 8, we thought we’d take a quick peek at the holiday shopping plans of this small but powerful group of spenders.

On average, Hanukkah celebrants anticipated allotting $945 to gifts, décor, cards, food and flowers this year, 26% higher than holiday shoppers in general. Two-thirds of Hanukkah shoppers are also expected to take advantage of the seasonal deals and promotions to “self-gift.” And while gift cards, books/CDs/DVDs, and apparel top their wish lists, they are 35% more like than average to request jewelry this year.

We’ve created the special infographic below to illustrate all of the details:

For more insights on the holiday season, visit the NRF’s Holiday Headquarters.

Source: BIGinsight.com

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

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Black Friday’s Anti-Aging Secret

Shopping on Black Friday made me feel old this year.

Not because we actually began shopping on Thursday. Not because I’ve been scouting out the doorbusters, deep discounts, and special sales for close to 20 years. But because the general make-up of the bargain hunting crowds really seemed to shift this year. After heading out at 8PM on Thanksgiving, it seemed like we were met by a sea of tweens and teens. Before I knew it, my friend and I were muttering phrases like “Where are your parents?” and “Don’t you have a curfew?”

The progressively earlier store openings for the “Black Friday” bonanza of shopping has apparently lent itself to a whole new group of shoppers. Instead of the traditional early birds setting their alarms clocks for 3AM Friday and trudging to the stores half asleep, younger night owls are increasingly appearing, hopped up on coffee and seemingly eager to do “something” after Thanksgiving dinner. While the Black Friday Weekend* insights released by the National Retail Federation (conducted by BIGinsight™) don’t include the tweenagers with which we shared the stores this year, it’s still interesting to take a look at some of shopper shifts among the 18+ age groups that we’re witnessing with the age-old Black Friday shopping tradition.

Younger Crowds Own the Thanksgiving Shopping Trend. Among Black Friday Weekend shoppers who checked out the deals on Thanksgiving Day (in-store or online), the percentage of 18-34 year olds increased a whopping 30% over a year ago. That compares to just an 8% rise among those 35 to 54 and 9% with the 55 and over crowd. So, while we know that shopping on Turkey Day is a rising trend, it’s clearly one driven by a younger demographic.

Merry Christmas to Me. Yes Virginia – this is the season of giving – but with doorbuster deals like $8 dollar coffee pots, who can resist the one-for-you, one-for-me mantra? Practical consumers are increasingly embracing the idea of “self-gifting” at the holidays, buying items for themselves at discounts typically not seen throughout the rest of the year. And these self-centric Santas were certainly out en masse last weekend: eight out of ten Black Friday Weekend shoppers reported that they had taken advantage of retailers’ online and in-store promotions to buy non-gift items. This figure rose to 86% among 18 to 34 year olds, while those 35 to 54 (81%) and 55+ (72%) showed more restraint [well, kind of].

18-34 Year Olds Found Deals via Friendlier Outlets. There’s something that screams “tradition” to a Black Friday bargain hunter when that 20 pound newspaper – chock full of those delicious retailer ads – lands on the front porch on Thanksgiving morning…am I right? Surprising as it may seem in the digital age, the majority of consumers (50%) looked to advertising circulars as their source for Black Friday Weekend sales, discounts, and promotions this year, followed by retailer emails (36%), online searches (30%), retailers’ websites (23%), and TV advertising (also 23%).

Talk to an 18 to 34 year old, though, and you’ll get a different picture. While these youngsters still gobbled up the deals via ad circulars (39%), they were nearly twice as likely to find a friendly discount via Facebook (31%) compared to the general Black Friday Weekend shopping population (16%). Additionally, 18 to 34 year olds were more likely to learn about promotions directly from family and friends (30%), eclipsing those who sought out TV advertising (26%).

* “Black Friday Weekend” is defined as Thursday (Thanksgiving), Friday (Black Friday), Saturday, and Sunday.

For more insights on the holiday season, visit the NRF’s Holiday Headquarters.

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com as a contribution to the Prosper Now blog.

Ten Ways to Spot a Layaway Shopper this Holiday Season

While several major retailers, including Walmart, Kmart, and Toys R Us, have lowered or eliminated their layaway fees in efforts to spur holiday shopping, new insights from the BIGinsight™ November survey of more than 9,000 consumers reveal that this tactic doesn’t seem to be leading to a rise in this place-it-on-hold-and-pay-over-time purchase behavior. Just over one in ten holiday shoppers (12.3%) indicates they are using or planning to use layaway when shopping for gifts this season, relatively unchanged from one year ago (12.7%).

With a flatlining number of consumers boarding the layaway train for 2012, it appears that this Great Depression-era policy is more bygone gimmick rather than a modern day marvel. However, further analysis of layaway users uncovers a specific type of holiday shopper. So without further ado, let’s take a look at ten characteristics that help identify this special group of consumers.

Ten Characteristics of Layaway Shoppers

1. Layaway shoppers wouldn’t place in a Santa look-a-like contest. Nearly 75% more likely to have children in the household compared to average holiday shoppers, while layaway users might be more prone to play Santa this year for the kiddos, they just won’t look like the jolly old guy. Six years younger on average than typical holiday shoppers, layaway-ers are also far less likely to refer to themselves as “retired.”

2. Despite tighter budgets, layaway-ers intend to spend more this holiday season. As might be expected, those utilizing the budget-friendly aspects of layaway tend to earn less (about $49,000 per year) than holiday shoppers in general ($56,000/year). Despite this, though, two out of five (41.6%) layaway shoppers intend to spend “more” on the holiday season this year than they did back in 2011. Just 21.0% of shoppers in general are working within expanded holiday budgets this year.*

3. Layaway shoppers have a holly jolly outlook for the economy… Consumers reported that they were feeling better about the economy in November, but the sentiment among layaway users is downright giddy: 54.7% say they are very confident/confident in chances for a strong economy, much higher than typical holiday shoppers (40.4%). The issue of employment, though, is another story. About a third (32.7%) of layaway shoppers fears an increasing in the number of layoffs over the next six months, higher than holiday shoppers in general (22.0%). Layaway-ers are also slightly more concerned about becoming laid off themselves.

4. …Yet remain conservative with their everyday finances. Lower average incomes and greater concerns for layoffs are likely playing into layaway shoppers’ penchant for scrimping and saving in their everyday lives. Compared to holiday shoppers in general, more layaway-ers are making plans to pay down debt (38.6%), decrease overall spending (35.4%), and increase their savings (32.5%) over the next three months. Additionally, a higher proportion (28.6%) is attempting to pay with cash more often, which brings us to point #5…

5. Cold hard cash is key with layaway shoppers. For holiday purchases specifically, while debit cards are the preferred method of payment among layaway shoppers (49.9% plan to use them most often), more than a third of (35.5%) still plans to utilize cash most often, 40% higher than holiday shoppers in general (25.2%). Layaway shoppers are 60% less likely to use credit cards most often for holiday purchases than typical holiday shoppers.*

6. These early birds are getting the worms… Arguably one of the brightest benefits of using layaways services is the ability to place a hold on hot holiday merchandise before it flies off the shelves. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that – as of early November – seven out of 10 layaway users (69.1%) had begun their holiday shopping as opposed to just 52.8% of holiday shoppers in general.*

7. …But still plan to bargain-hunt with the best of ‘em on Black Friday. And speaking of early bird tendencies, layaway shoppers are quite the night owls too: the majority (56.3%) is planning to shop Black Friday weekend, making them 75% more likely to brave the crowds than typical holiday shoppers (31.5%).*

8. Layaway shoppers use their connections to find best deals. While traditional advertising circulars are their top source for keeping track of holiday sales and promotions, layaway shoppers are more likely to connect on Facebook or Twitter, use retailer apps, and refer to coupon websites (i.e. RetailMeNot.com, FatWallet.com) compared to holiday shoppers in general.*

9. While they embrace their inner fashionistas, it’s electronics and toys that are bound for the layaway bins. While layaway shoppers are more likely to lean to familiar fashion labels and the newest trends/styles versus holiday shoppers in general, apparel is less likely to be put on hold compared to electronics and toys.

10. Discounters are most likely to get those layaway dollars. When it comes to the retailers shoppers are utilizing for layaway services, discounters score a definitive win here. Nearly two-thirds (65.5%) of holiday shoppers planning to use layaway this season will head to Walmart, while 42.2% say they will sign up with Kmart. Fewer will make use of the programs at Toys R Us (21.2%), Sears (15.2%), Burlington Coat Factory (12.4%), Marshall’s (12.1%), or TJ Maxx (9.9%).

* Source: National Retail Federation/BIGinsight™. For more insights on the holiday season, visit the NRF’s Holiday Headquarters.

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com as a contribution to the Prosper Now blog.

Top Halloween Candies to Treat – and to Keep

With a record number of adults celebrating Halloween this year, it’s safe to say that this isn’t a holiday just for the kiddos anymore. Those of us 18+ dress in costume, attend parties, carve pumpkins, decorate our homes/ yards, and even force Fido to get in on the fun. Then there’s the candy. Oh, yes, the candy.

Don’t we all get excited when the Halloween treats hit store shelves around Labor Day? I’ll cop to purchasing four bags of my “fun size” favorites last month. I justified this as shopping ahead for what was sure-to-be an onslaught of little trick-or-treaters on Beggar’s Night this year [side note: we had five last year]. But whether we have one, five, twenty, or fifty little ghosts and goblins, it won’t matter because that candy is gone.

Yes, I had consumed four bags of Halloween candy in a matter of weeks.

Strike that.

Yes, my husband and I had consumed four bags of Halloween candy in a matter of weeks. #shame

But we’re not alone in our sugar-high-inducing disgrace…right? As it turns out, we all have our favorite Halloween candies to treat to others – and to keep for ourselves. According to our October monthly survey of nearly 9,000 consumers, about one in five (20.1%) of those with a preference cite Snickers® as their favorite candy to pass out on Beggar’s Night, double the popularity of the next brand on their list, Reese’s® (10.8%) and consistent with last year’s findings.* Expect plenty of Kit Kat® Bars (6.7%), M&M’s® (6.3%), and Hershey® Bars (4.8%) among trick-or-treaters’ Halloween hauls this year as well.

I tend to get a Halloween hankering for three bags worth of Reese’s® Pieces each year [loved them since E.T. #productplacementworks], and I’m glad to see that this craving is perfectly normal: when it comes to the candy that connoisseurs would prefer to keep at home, Reese’s® (16.1%) has a slight edge over Snicker’s® (15.1%), while Candy Corn (7.9%), Kit Kat® (5.7%), and M&M’s® (5.2%) follow.

Although Halloween is still a week away, Beggar’s Night can’t come soon enough. There’s a bag of Milky Way® bars at my house about to become extinct.

For more new insights on Halloween from our October survey, see Consumers’ Cure for Stress? Halloween

And, for Halloween data released earlier in the month by our friends at the National Retail Federation, including spending, activities, planned costumes, and a fabulous infographic, please click here.

* Favorite candy brands to pass out to trick-or-treaters and to keep at home are the results of two unaided, write-in questions. Percentages displayed in this report are based on consumers expressing a preference.

Source: BIGinsight.com

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

The Holiday ’12 State of the Consumer

This week, the National Retail Federation announced their 2012 holiday forecast, predicting that sales will rise 4.1% over 2011 to $586.1 billion. The sales growth is expected to be slightly higher than the 10-year average holiday sales increase (3.5%), though pacing below last year’s growth (5.6%). With holiday shoppers gearing up for spending, let’s take a look at the “state of the consumer” as we head into this all-important selling season for retailers:

Confidence is UP, but Feelings are Volatile. In the BIGinsight September monthly survey of more than 9,000 consumers, 38% indicated that they were very confident or confident in chances for a strong economy. This was a high reading for 2012 and a vast improvement over the September 2011’s 23%, when consumers were still reeling from the debt crisis. Confidence is riding a four-point upswing from August to September, but don’t look for this indicator to continue to improve at this pace – 2012 has been a rollercoaster ride for sentiment and continued fluctuation is expected headed into Q4.

The outcome of the “fiscal cliff” drama on Capitol Hill remains big question mark for the sustainability of confidence – as well as holiday sales. Should we fall off that precipice – and realize an average 2013 tax bill increase of $3500 – holiday budgets are bound to shrink. Adding to the precarious position of the economy? Our continuously weak job market. And the upcoming Presidential election also adds to the uncertainty.

Frugality is a Fixture in Consumer Finances. Along with the relatively robust increase in consumer confidence in September, we also witnessed similar increases in those focused on practical purchasing and buying just the necessities. In fact, both indicators are in line with what we saw a year ago, when confidence was just 23%. So yes, Virginia, despite the more positive outlook for the economy, consumers are still being very cautious with what they spend – even as we look forward to the holiday shopping season.

Expect holiday shoppers to stick to budgets, avoid impulse buys, continue smart shopping strategies, such as couponing, sales/promotions, and comparison shopping, as gift-buying commences. Frugality continues to be the name of the game with consumers because they know the economy isn’t “fixed.” Paying down debt and reducing spending remain fiscal priorities headed into the final three months of 2012, while plans to increase savings reached a six-year September high last month, so it appears that consumers may be preparing for holiday shopping as well as those everyday unknowns.

Pricing uncertainty in key areas, like grocery, gas, and apparel, continues to be of concern with consumers. An increasing number of shoppers are relying on their credit cards more compared to September 2011 when purchasing such staples – so we are still seeing signs of struggling consumers. (i.e. Holiday ’12 won’t herald a season of “recovery.”)

However, if it can be avoided, shoppers won’t make this Christmas on credit. Year over year, fewer are paying off just the minimum monthly balance on their cards, while we’ve seen a slight rise in those carrying $0 average monthly balances. The past four years have been a tough road for consumers, but they do appear to be focusing on not falling back into the lax spending/savings patterns that got them into a mess back in 2008.

Consumers Know They Have the Upper Hand with Retailers. Can we call this retail transparency? The rising popularity of mobile devices has taken much of the mystery out of shopping for customers holding a smartphone or tablet. They can compare prices, check availability, and even click “buy” from virtually wherever they are located, and shoppers will work all angles – online, instore, mobile, social media, coupon sites, direct mail, email, and ad circulars – to make sure that their holiday spending remains on budget. It’ll be a spending game that consumers want to win.

However, we know that all retailers can’t compete on low price alone [I’m looking at you, Best Buy.] Great customer service and personal rapport with shoppers will be key in driving traffic to retailers who aren’t low-price providers. Product selection, availability, and brand assortment – something department stores having really honed in on in the past few years – will also serve to turn shoppers’ heads this season. “Cheap is chic” is SO 2008; today’s shoppers want value and are willing to pay a little more for quality – as long as they can use a coupon.

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com as a contribution to the Prosper Now blog.

Embracing Escapism: 70% Plan to Celebrate Halloween This Year

With the U.S. economy on unsteady ground for the past several years, have consumers just given up on a full recovery? We talk about terms like the “new normal” and wonder if the uncertain economy is just now a part of life. But consumers can’t live their lives mired in the doldrums; we seem to be gravitating toward outlets that give us freedom to laugh, enjoy life, and let us forget the everyday “norm.” It’s called escapism. For some, it’s following all things Kardashian, striking up a dialogue on the latest Here Comes Honey Boo Boo exploits, or waiting in line for the new Apple iPhone 5. For many of us – 7 in 10 to be exact – it’ll mean celebrating Halloween this year.

For the past ten years, BIGinsight has been a proud provider of Halloween insights for the National Retail Federation, and this year, we found that 170 million adults will be partaking in the festivities, a new record. Whether it’s attending a party, passing out candy, or even getting Fido in on the act, consumers seem bound and determined to release that pent-up demand for having some fun despite everyday uncertainties. And of the $8 billion dollars consumers are expected to spend on the holiday, nearly $3 billion will be scared up for costumes – and some of this year’s favorites are shown below in the NRF’s Halloween 2012 infographic.

Top Ten Back-to-School Trends + Audio Analysis

As you are probabaly now quite well aware, BIGinsight has been a proud partner in the collection of the National Retail Federations’s Back-to-School insights for 10 seasons.

And, I recently had the opportunity – nay, privilege – of co-presenting on their annual Back-to-School Media Briefing with NRF President/CEO Matthew Shay. While Matt reviewed the top ten Back-to-School trends (BTW how cool is the infographic below?), I spoke for about ten minutes on the overall state of consumers and how this may be influencing the Back-to-School season. Be sure to click on the link below to listen – you’ll hear a lot of great insights and explanations beyond what has already been released.

Hear NRF CEO and BIGinsight discuss top BTS trends

Back-to-School Overview + New Consumer Trends for July

Our very special guest contributor this month on the BIG Call was Ellen Davis, Senior Vice President at the National Retail Federation and Executive Director for the NRF Foundation.

July is an exciting month for the NRF and BIGinsight, as this is the time of year we collect and release a fresh batch of insights on the Back-to-School shopping season. 2012 marks the tenth season of our partnership on Back-to-School insights – a milestone!

In her portion of the Call, Ellen delivered an interesting view of what we can expect from Back-to-School shoppers this year and what this means to retailers. Specifically, she addressed:

– The Economy: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going
– Back to School, Back to College 2012
– Economy Remains Top of Mind
– What’s Different This Year
– Retailers’ Recipe for Success
– Holiday Implications

And to kick off the Call, I gave a snapshot of consumers overall, including economic sentiment, employment outlook, practical purchasing, our 90 Day Outlook as well as a special preview of Holiday 2012 spending plans.

To listen to the recorded webinar, click here.

For the full, complimentary July 2012 BIG Call slide deck, please click here.

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey – JUL-12 (N = 8509, 7/2 – 7/9/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

Hot Dog! July 4th Cookouts Expected to Cost a Little Less This Year

With Independence Day falling on a Wednesday this year, our family observed the holiday with a cookout held over the weekend. Typically, this occasion is pot luck, and because I’ll try any recipe involving chocolate, I was planning to bake up a batch of Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies [don’t these look yummy?!] Unfortunately, a sudden summer storm knocked out our power over the weekend, and I had to resort to Plan B: a couple of bags of Mike-Sells and some deli potato salad.

While I certainly hope that the other 160 million patriots celebrating their Independence with a cookout, barbeque or picnic do so with a little more, uh, gas, it’s evident that we will all have something to look forward to: the average price of a July 4^th cookout is projected to be a little lower this year.

Despite consumers’ concerns with rising food prices, the average cost of an Independence Day picnic is down a few dollars to $59.14 (from $61.16 in 2011). This translates into a $2.4 billion in cookout-related spending for celebrants collectively…that’s a lot of coleslaw!

While the prices of charcoal and lighter fluid look to be on this rise for 2012, it appears that grocers are relying on select loss leaders to draw customers to their stores. In particular, we found that hot dogs and American cheese seem to be sparking savings. Knowing how practical consumers continue to be, though, I’d expect ad circulars, coupons, and even mobile devices to play key roles as shoppers seek out the best prices for their cookout supplies.

Other 4^th of July insights this year (collected for the National Retail Federation):
– 115 million people will “ooh” and “aah” over fireworks displays, up from 105 million in 2011
– Nearly 36 million are planning to attend a parade
– About 30 million will hit the road and travel for the holiday
– 137 million proudly fly their American flags

Enjoy a happy and safe 4^th!

Click here for complimentary infographic and cookout-related report.

Click here to view the original release from the National Retail Federation: Fireworks, BBQs in high demand this Independence Day

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey – JUN-12 (N = 8760, 6/5 – 6/12/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

The Father’s Day / Mother’s Day Spending Gap Explained [?]

In our ten years of gathering spending intentions for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day for the National Retail Federation, one glaring item has always been consistent: shoppers spend more money on Moms.

While Dad finally appears to be getting his due this year, with the average consumer budgeting $117.14 this Father’s Day, spending for June 17 will still be eclipsed by the $152.52 they planned to spend on Mom last month. That’s right, consumers are allotting 23% less for dear ol’ Dad – and that’s an improvement from the 32% gap that existed in 2008.

So why do consumers spend less for Father’s Day? Perhaps we’re just so tapped out from Mother’s Day that by the time Dad’s Day rolls around, we’re tightening the purse strings. [wink] Jokes aside, let’s take a look at more realistic possibilities for the spending gap between those big days for Mom and Pop:

THEORY #1: Mom is…well…Mom. Under the most traditional of circumstances, Moms tend to be the nurturers in the family. Who else would kiss the bandaged knee and “make it all better”? [OK, maybe Grandma – also a Mom BTW]. Consider this, too: within two-income households, the multitasking mother may earn a paycheck and run the household. Now I’m not saying that Dad doesn’t chip in or do his fair share of chores and child-rearing [though I don’t recall my Dad ever doing a load of laundry], but doesn’t this double-duty earn Moms the right to a little something extra each May?

Perhaps different* parental dynamics just make us predisposed to doting on Mom a little more.

THEORY #2: Blame it on the weather. For those of us lucky to live in states where we see the seasons change [though I could do without Ohio winters], by early May the weather’s getting warmer, greenhouses are full of new flowers, and restaurants begin offering outdoor dining again – in a nutshell, we’ve got all of these super excuses to celebrate Mom (and put a little spring in our spending).

By the time Father’s Day rolls around, though, it’s also pool season, t-ball [etc.] season, graduation season – and that’s a lot of seasons to pack into a busy mid-June weekend. Perhaps it’s all we can do to fit a little special time in for Dad on Father’s Day.

And let’s not forget that it’s also grilling season. Hot dogs are cheaper than a sit-down restaurant, so the special family meal may be more cost-conscious than last month’s Mother’s Day brunch.

THEORY #3: What does Dad really want? When was the last time you saw your Dad drooling over the newest Pandora® beads or shiny trinkets in the display case at a jewelry store? For Mom, it’s probably another story, and that’s guilt in the form of savvy** Mother’s Day marketing, my friends. Retailers try to up the ante for Father’s Day, too, but it never seems to have the same impact, does it?

While some Dads may drop heavy Father’s Day hints, I’m willing to guess that [based on personal experience] most do not. So what to buy? Those golf clubs should last a good 30 years [right?!], and I don’t know about you, but I shudder just thinking about the prospect of heading to my local big box and hunting down a “good” tool that he already doesn’t have.

I KNOW.

THE BEST GIFT EVER.

WHAT DAD REALLY WANTS IS…

A TIE.

Did you know that besides greeting cards, the most popular tangible gift for Dad this year is apparel? Forget the spending gap; perhaps Dad’s bigger issue is that he’s suffering from gift discrimination. More than two in five shoppers (42.3%) plan to gift apparel for Father’s Day, compared to just 32.8% who anticipated buying apparel for Mother’s Day. [BTW, flowers were the most popular Mother’s Day gift this year.]

Whatever the reason that consumers spend less on Father’s Day, I guess it’s good that Dads just seem to go with the flow. And we love them all the more for it.

For the official National Retail Federation press release: Dads Finally Getting Their Due This Father’s Day, According to NRF Survey.

And, check out the Shop.org Blog for additional insights: Online Father’s Day shoppers expect seamless cross-channel shopping.

*Note: Not “good,” not “bad,” just “different.”
**Note: Not “good,” not “bad,” just “savvy.”

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey – MAY-12 (N = 8789, 5/2 – 5/8/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.