Study finds that Seamless Experiences, Trust and Privacy are More Important than Ever to Holiday Shoppers

63% of holiday shoppers start their journeys on commerce marketplaces like Amazon, according to new research from Intent Lab, a partnership between Performics and Northwestern University Medill School

Chicago (Dec. 10, 2019)—As brands compete this holiday season, shoppers make purchase decisions based on ease of shopping across channels, trust and privacy, according to a new Digital Satisfaction Index (DSI) study by the Intent Lab, a research partnership between Performics and Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

• The study found that 63% of holiday shoppers in the U.S. buy all their gifts online
• 40% of shoppers aged 35+ (and 25% aged 18-34) prefer to shop both online and in-store
• 63% of holiday shoppers start their journeys on retail/commerce marketplaces like Amazon or Walmart, followed by search engines at 23% and major retailers/department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s at 10%

According to Esteban Ribero, SVP Planning and Insights at Performics, “This data shows that brands must have planning processes in place to align to consumer intentions this holiday.  Consumers intend to discover and purchase products seamlessly across channels, including online to offline, brand site and commerce marketplaces. Holiday shopping isn’t a one-stop shop or one-size-fits-all experience.”

Intent Lab has been measuring consumer satisfaction related to trust in digital experiences for 4 years, and the new study found that, once again, trust has dropped:

• More than 50% of the study respondents agreed with the statement: “I am skeptical about anything I read online”
• 77% of respondents agreed with the statements: “I am concerned about my privacy online” and “I find it creepy when websites know information about me that I have not directly communicated”

Ashlee Humphreys, Associate Professor of integrated marketing communications at Medill, commented, “In March 2019, when evaluating the importance of digital satisfaction factors for consumers, we found that Utility/Ease had the highest importance weighting at 41%, followed by Trust at 21%.  But for holiday 2019, consumers are putting an equal amount of importance into Utility/Ease (27%), Trust (26%) and Privacy (26%).”

Other findings include:

• Nearly 40% of holiday shoppers start browsing 1-3 months before the holidays, and around 15% start browsing 3-6 months in advance
• Women are more likely to shop for large groups of people (over 10), compared to men

See more at: https://www.performics.com/about-us/intent-lab/

About Performics

As the original performance marketing agency, Performics is the premier revenue growth driver for many of the world’s most admired brands. Across an expansive global network operating in 57 countries, Performics leverages data, technology and talent to create and convert consumer demand wherever it is expressed—search, social, display, commerce and offline channels. Performics is built for the relentless pursuit of results. Headquartered in Chicago, Performics is a Publicis Media company and the performance marketing engine of Publicis Groupe. Demand Performance. To learn more, visit https://www.performics.com.

About Northwestern University Medill School

Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a leader in education and research in both journalism and IMC. The school’s innovative teaching and research focus on enduring skills as well as new techniques and technologies that are changing the way stories are told and consumed in today’s digital world, as well as how organizations engage audiences. With a home base in Evanston, Illinois, Medill is on the eve of turning 100 years old in 2021.