How the pandemic may affect holiday shopping
by Emily Eberhard & Michka Mancini, Think with Google Canada
July 2020

When you imagine the start to the holiday season, you probably envision shoppers lined up at the mall before sunrise for Black Friday deals or rushing to stores in the days before December 25. But we know shopping this year is likely to be quite different.

For instance, more than a third of Canadian shoppers who normally shop in store for Black Friday say they won’t this year.¹ And 56% of Canadian shoppers say the pandemic will affect how they’ll shop for the holidays this year.² This makes it hard for retailers to plan as they normally would, in a time when many badly need a successful season. This holiday season will be about who can respond most quickly instead.

To help retailers plan and respond this season, we have insights and resources available in our 2020 retail guide, and, in June, we surveyed global consumers to better understand how the coronavirus pandemic will impact their holiday shopping. Here’s how people plan to shop differently this year.

People will discover and buy online even more

The holidays are a traditionally heavy online-shopping season. Last year, 80% of Canadian holiday shoppers used three or more channels to do their holiday shopping,³ and half of shopper-reported purchases were made online.⁴ This year, we expect those numbers will grow, as almost 65% of Canadian shoppers who plan to shop this season said they will shop online more for the holidays than they did in previous seasons, and 73% said they would browse for gift ideas online and not in store.⁵

Research shows that in April, 60% of Canadians used search to see “what is open or closed near me.”¹ Consumers are quickly shifting their shopping habits, the products they’re looking for, and where they’re buying from, but businesses can be there at this moment.

When people do shop in store, they’ll plan ahead and research online

Prior to the pandemic, the in-store shopping experience often began long before shoppers arrived at a store. This is even more true today, as availability and local convenience has become a priority. In fact, 69% of Canadian shoppers said they plan to confirm online that an item is in stock before going to buy it.⁶ Plus, searches for “available near me” have grown globally by more than 100% since last year,⁷ underscoring the importance of accurate inventory information.

Given that the growing customer preference for shopping locally will likely continue into the holidays and beyond, understanding local buying intent will be paramount — especially since 71% of shoppers said they plan to shop more at local small businesses.⁸ Consider providing shoppers with the right information about products available at your store, operation hours, and health and safety policies …. to reach people near your stores, across different locations.

People will seek safer, digitized ways of shopping in store

When shoppers do decide they’re willing to shop in store, it’s no surprise that safety is a key concern. This means what’s considered “in-store” shopping may look different this year, as alternatives like curbside pickup and contactless buying become the norm. As proof, 50% of shoppers that plan to shop this season said they’ll choose to shop at stores that offer contactless shopping.⁹ And 44% of planned shoppers said they’ll use options to buy online, pickup in store/curbside pickup.¹⁰

Sources

^{1, 5-6, 8-11} Google commissioned Ipsos COVID-19 tracker, CA n= ~730 18 +online consumers who plan to shop for the holidays. June 25-28

² Google commissioned Ipsos COVID-19 tracker, CA n=1000 online consumers 18+ per market. June 25-28

³ Google/Ipsos, “Holiday Shopping Study”, November 2019 – January 2020, Online survey, Canada, n=3152 online Canadians 18+ who shopped for the Holidays in the past two days.

⁴ ‘Google/Ipsos, “Holiday Shopping Study”, November 2019 – January 2020, Online survey, Canada, n=3770 Holiday purchases (Online Canadians 18+ who shopped for the Holidays in the past two days).

⁷ Google Data, Global English, Feb. 26–April 25, 2020 vs. Feb. 25, 2019–April 25, 2019.

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See also: Canada’s e-commerce moment is now – Think with Google Canada