LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A survey conducted following last week's presidential election reveals that shoppers' behaviors will continue to be heavily influenced by social media, but not necessarily by their mobile or tablet devices, according to behavioral marketing company, SteelHouse (www.SteelHouse.com).
In the annual holiday survey of consumers, most shoppers said they won't be using their mobile device or tablet to browse or purchase gifts this holiday season.
- 51% of shoppers will NOT use their mobile device or tablet to browse or purchase gifts this holiday season.
- 58% will NOT use their mobile or tablet device to comparison shop in-store to find better prices.
- But 89% of these shoppers WILL search online to find the best prices.
Shoppers Plan to Turn to Facebook
Social media sites, particularly Facebook, will play a big role in upping holiday sales this season as nearly half of all respondents said they've purchased a product or service they've seen recommended or shared on social media sites.
- 44% of shoppers have purchased a product or service they've seen recommended or shared on a social media site.
- Of these consumers, 85% said they saw the item they purchased on Facebook, followed by Twitter at 23% and Pinterest at 16%.
Influencing Shoppers' Behaviors
This year, retailers will need to offer a combination of site engagement as well as special offers in order to get shoppers to spend money with them. The biggest influence on shoppers' behavior prior to purchasing this year will be seeking product reviews and/or recommendations.
- 64% of shoppers will read product reviews and recommendations before making a purchase.
- Consumers cited free shipping (37%), percentage off (30%), and buy one, get one free deals (30%) as the top three offers they're looking for this year.
"This holiday season we're really focused on optimizing our website," said Austin Caldwell, Interactive Media Director at Heels.com. "And to make sure we maximize our conversion, as soon as shoppers arrive at our site, they get two great offers – Free 2nd Day Shipping and Returns and a percentage off. These offers reinforce what our shoppers will be seeing in our online ads and on Facebook this holiday season."
Shoppers' Attitudes Towards Deals & Discounts
More than 50 percent of those surveyed indicated they plan to look for holiday deals and discounts on social media sites, but the majority of them will be looking for them on their computers, not on their mobile or tablet. In addition, coupon sites like Swagbucks, MyPoints, and Zanga were noted as hotspots for deal searching and collecting rewards.
- 64% of shoppers will be looking for holiday deals and discounts on social media via their computer, not their mobile or tablet device.
Tailored flash sale sites like One Kings Lane, Fab.com, and Joss & Main continue to intrigue shoppers and grab holiday dollars.
- 42% of respondents are members of a flash sale site.
- 58% shared they intend to purchase gifts from flash sale sites if the right products and offers are or presented.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping
Regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shoppers indicated this year they will be specifically looking for electronics, media and clothing.
- 70% will be shopping for electronics (TVs, computers, cameras, etc.).
- 50% will be shopping for media – including DVDs video games and books.
- 44% will be shopping for clothing and shoes.
The majority of shoppers say they will spend the same amount ($250 – $500) as they did last year online versus in-store this holiday season and will split their overall spending budget evenly between the two channels.
SteelHouse's survey was based on an online poll of 400 nationwide consumers conducted by SteelHouse and Instant.ly and has a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points. For a full copy of the survey results, please contact us or visit http://www.steelhouse.com/2012-holiday-shopping-forecast-infographic/.
Media Contact:
Kristin Tinsley
PR Manager
310.895.2110
About SteelHouse
SteelHouse™ (www.SteelHouse.com), an ad:tech award-winning company, brings innovative advertising solutions to brands, agencies and eCommerce marketers. SteelHouse reaches more than 125 million consumers a month, across hundreds of the world's largest brands. The company's behavioral marketing solutions including A2, Real Time Offers™ and Retargeting, enable companies to drive high engagement in their ads, on or off their site, based on their consumers' real time behaviors.
The SteelHouse team is comprised of veteran direct marketers and engineers from eHarmony, E*TRADE, Oracle and the Rubicon Project. SteelHouse is based in Los Angeles, Calif.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com
http://www.cisionwire.com/steelhouse/r/post-election-survey-shows-51--of-consumers-will-not-use-their-mobile-or-tablet-device-to-shop-this-,c9333060
The following files are available for download:
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