DISCUSSION
Are holiday shoppers getting more ‘appy’?
Written by RetailWire Staff
Photo: @lelia_milaya via Twenty20
The bulk of holiday shoppers during the first part of this holiday season were not Millennials or Gen Zers, but they still used their smartphones to shop — and some even preferred individual retailer apps.
Those are a couple of major takeaways from AdColony's "Holiday Shopping Survey 2018." The survey of several hundred consumers indicated that a full 70 percent of 2018 holiday shoppers were between 45 and 70. Fifty-nine percent reported using their mobile phone for shopping more than their desktop computer, and 35 percent prefer to shop via mobile app.
The findings further indicated that 66 percent of respondents would purchase something directly from a mobile advertisement.
Surveys have begun to indicate that customers as a whole are using individual retailer apps more frequently. Such factors as better smartphone technology, more thoughtful app design and better store/app integration may all be playing a role in driving adoption. And older audiences aren't excluded from that trend. Walgreens, for example, has developed an app that directly addresses the unique UI needs of older customers.
The study's insights on holiday shopper age may or may not speak to a year-round trend.
While there has been a lot of talk over the years about the importance of retailers courting younger customers, the fact that the majority of 2018 holiday shoppers come from an older cohort could point to a need to cater to that audience year-round.
And yet, it may also indicate that much of the gift-giving during the holidays is being done by parents and grandparents.