2024 Global Holiday Consumer Behavior Report: Bazaarvoice

Bazaarvoice, a leading platform for full-funnel authentic user-generated content (UGC) and social commerce solutions, today released its 2024 Global Holiday Season Consumer Behavior Report based on insights from over 8,000 global consumers. The report suggests that the holiday rush begins as early as August.

According to the report, shoppers around the world are already gearing up for the holiday season. Nearly a quarter of shoppers (23%) will start shopping for gifts in August or earlier. More than a third of people (37%) will start shopping in September, and more than half (55%) in October.

Since the beginning of this year, brands and retailers have been formulating holiday strategies to capture consumers’ attention. Key findings from the report will help companies refine their seasonal tactics with data-driven decisions.

Sleigh Bells at Mid-Year? As Christmas Shopping Takes Flight Across the World

By far, UK shoppers are much more excited about the festive season, with 63% of UK respondents planning to start shopping in July or earlier – compared to just 13% of US shoppers who will start in July. Research shows that Germans wait the longest, with 63% not starting their shopping until November or later.

When is it too early to decorate the aisles? The report also revealed that most shoppers (62%) believe October or earlier is too early for stores to showcase holiday products and sales. A quarter (26%) said it’s never too early.

Shopping malls still top the list: where consumers are starting their holiday shopping

The days of mall Santas and decorated department stores are not over. A visit to the mall is still popular among people who start their holiday shopping (28%). Gen Z was the most likely of all generations to say they started by visiting a mall (35%). Geographically, respondents from France were the most likely (41%), while respondents from the United States were the least likely (20%).

The most popular places to start holiday shopping are through search engine research (24%) and by browsing directly to brand and retailer websites (24%).

Where did consumers ultimately do their holiday shopping last year? The report shows that brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers like Amazon are about even (both 33%). The next most popular choice (19%) was an equal mix of shopping at brick-and-mortar retailers and online on brands’ websites and social media.

Video Content: The Preferred Format for Social Media Gift Searches

Whether they’re aimlessly scrolling or actively shopping for gifts, 49% of respondents say their holiday shopping on social media is intentional and spontaneous.

According to the report, consumers say that

• the video format is most effective in attracting audience attention during the holiday season (37%),
• Buyers most often prefer to watch videos lasting 1 to 5 minutes (29%)
• They are closely followed by videos that are one minute or less long (28%).

When asked what type of content is preferred on social media during the holiday season (user-generated, brand-generated, or influencer-generated), consumers are divided: 46% of consumers prefer brand-generated content, 44% prefer user-generated content, and 10% prefer influencer-generated content.

“In today’s marketplace, brands need to create authentic and engaging content where and when consumers prefer to engage. With 82% of shoppers emphasizing the importance of a seamless experience across channels, leveraging watering holes throughout the journey and integrating online and in-store experiences is key to a successful omnichannel strategy,” says Zarina Stanford, CMO, Bazaarvoice.

Bazaarvoice’s 2024 Global Holiday Season Consumer Behavior Report offers valuable insights into the changing dynamics of holiday shopping. It examines the influence of content generated by creators, consumers, and brands, the types of seasonal content shoppers are looking for during the holiday season, and how it influences purchasing decisions. The report is available for download here.

Methodology

We surveyed 8,230 consumers aged 18 to 65+ about their preferences for the 2024 holiday shopping season in six countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Australia.

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