Survey: Black Friday, Cyber Monday not critical for most holiday shoppers

Thirty-nine percent of shoppers say they will do holiday shopping equally online and in-person.

The majority of U.S. shoppers want to finish holiday shopping as soon as possible.

That’s according to a holiday shopping trends survey by Basis Technologies conducted with audience research firm GWI in which 54% of holiday shoppers said they don’t view Black Friday and Cyber Monday as essential for their needs. Among this audience, 65% of respondents said they will shop early to avoid shipping delays and 62% said they want to get their shopping done as fast as possible.

In other findings, 61% of holiday shoppers prefer to shop local or at small businesses and 56% are more likely to buy from retailers or brands that show they care for employees. Also, 37% said they like to buy from minority/women owned stores and brands.

Inflation driving up gift prices was the choice cited most often (64%) by respondents planning to increase their holiday shopping spend. Among respondents that said they will decrease holiday shopping spend, the top reasons for (each selected by 40% or more) are economic worries, uncertainty about the future  and having more expenses that are prioritized over gifts.

Basis Technologies’ biannual holiday shopping study was completed in May using responses from more than 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 16-99. 

Other findings from the study are below.