Holiday shoppers are increasingly shifting from traditional in-store experiences to fast, mobile-focused shopping in order to complete their gift buying in less than six hours, revealed a Celigo report. The survey also highlighted that most global consumers plan to spend under $1,000 on gifts this year.

According to the report, more than half of consumers in the UK and North America plan to begin their holiday shopping later than last year, with 53% starting in October. This shows a shift from 2023 when almost half of the respondents started shopping in September. Despite some reports indicating a cooling of inflation, price sensitivity remains high, with 85% of shoppers describing themselves as either “very” or “fairly” price-conscious for the upcoming holiday season.

“With economic pressures and inflation concerns still on mind, consumers are dedicating far less time, money and resources to holiday shopping. There is a significant shift toward last-minute online purchases and a growing emphasis on securing the best deals at the right time, which means that retailers must adapt to these evolving behaviors to meet the demands of today’s digitally savvy shoppers, ”said Mark Simon, Vice President of Strategy at Celigo.

One of the major drivers of shopping trends is the growing influence of mobile devices and social media platforms. Among younger consumers, mainly Generation Z, 67% of 18-to-24-year-olds and 65% of 25-to-35-year-olds are planning to use their mobile phones for holiday shopping. In addition, nearly half of consumers plan to shop for gifts on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

Moreover, the report highlights the ongoing shift toward online shopping. This year, most holiday shoppers will turn to online channels, emphasising convenience, wider product availability, and faster delivery as the main reasons for choosing e-commerce over physical stores.

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