Fifty-eight percent of Americans said they prefer shopping online to making in-store purchases during the holiday season, according to a new American Barometer survey.
The poll found that 38 percent of respondents said they favor using a computer to get their shopping done, while 20 percent said they go with using a smartphone or tablet. Forty-one percent of consumers said they prefer shopping in stores.
Twenty-eight percent of respondents who said they preferred in-store shopping liked it because it gave them a chance to interact with products, while 14 percent said it was faster to purchase items, which often don’t require delivery.
Thirty-seven percent of online shopping proponents said they found it more convenient than making a purchase in a store, with 21 percent saying online shopping is more convenient because they can do it anytime.
The poll comes as recent data show that shoppers are increasingly making their holiday purchases online.
Digital Commerce 360 predicted that shoppers will spend $122 billion at online retailers this holiday season, which would be up 17 percent from the same period in 2017.
Various retailers that have traditionally done most of their business from location stores appear to be catering to the growing number of online shoppers.
Nordstrom launched an online “Gift Finder” tool that makes it easier for shoppers to locate presents in the store.
Morning Consult polling editor Anna Yukhananov said Friday on “What America’s Thinking” that their research has shown many shoppers partake in a mixture of online and in-store shopping.
“Before you go to the store, you may look up to see if Target or Walmart has a cheaper price,” Yukhananov told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball. “Or you may check out a new product at Best Buy and buy it online for cheaper once you’ve experienced it.”
The American Barometer is a daily survey conducted by the HarrisX polling company on behalf of Hill.TV.
The consumer preferences poll was conducted Dec. 1–2 among 1,000 registered voters. The sampling margin or error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
— Julia Manchester
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