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Consumer Digest Reports
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3 MIN READ
Consumer Digest Reports

Consumer Digest: Holiday Insights September 2024

Consumer Digest Image

2024 Holiday Outlook

Earlier this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicted a 3.8% to 4.2% increase in 2024 holiday sales and plan to release an updated forecast in late October. Meanwhile, other sources are predicting nearly half of NRF’s original growth. Salesforce forecasts a 2% year-over-year increase in holiday sales.

To get a preview of the next few months, we asked Kroger households about their preparations and attitudes for the holiday season October through December.

96% of respondents plan to celebrate one or more upcoming holidays:

  • Halloween: 65%

  • Thanksgiving: 89%

  • Christmas: 91%

  • New Years Eve/Day: 69%

Shopper priorities: What are shoppers looking for while holiday shopping?

  • Sales/deals/coupons available: 71%

  • Availability of items: 70%

  • ‘One-stop-shop’: 34%

  • Personalized shopping experiences (e.g., promos, rewards, support): 26%

  • Online ordering for delivery or pickup: 22%

  • Extended store hours: 19%

Vibe check: Top two responses around holiday spending show budget concerns (T2B):

  • My household is concerned about our budget when we think about holiday spending this year: 44%

  • My household plans to shop at stores that offer the steepest discounts during the holiday season: 43%

Anticipated holiday spending…91% of shoppers will spend the same or less compared to last year:

  • Spend more: 10%

  • Spend same: 54%

  • Spend less: 37%

Although shoppers are looking for ways to save, many will continue splurging on gifts and food:

  • Gifts: 44%

  • Food: 43%

  • Travel: 18%

  • Clothing: 17%

  • Holiday entertainment: 16%

  • Decorations/décor: 14%

  • Holiday parties: 12%

  • None of the above: 25%

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Shoppers plan to do more low-cost activities and cut back on higher cost activities.

More:

  • Gather with friends/family: 31%

  • Watch holiday movies: 29%

  • Prepare for gatherings: 18%

  • Buy groceries: 18%

  • Decorate my house: 17%

Less:

  • Go out to restaurants: 52%

  • Spend money on entertainment: 39%

  • Travel: 31%

  • Consume alcohol: 28%

  • Donate to charities: 27%

Where will shoppers search for holiday deals?

  • Digital coupons: 75%

  • Weekly ads/circulars (paper or digital): 65%

  • Retailer’s website: 60%

  • Retailer app: 52%

  • Cashback apps/sites (e.g., Rakuten, Ibotta, etc.): 36%

  • Personalized paper coupons: 34%

  • By word of mouth: 27%

  • Manufacture’s website: 25%

% of shoppers who plan to let technology do some of the holiday planning:

  • For gift ideas: 21%

  • For new recipes: 21%

  • To make a grocery list: 20%

  • Discover new holiday traditions: 10%

  • To learn about holiday meaning/history: 9%

  • Plan a holiday trip: 9%

Top triggers to start holiday shopping:

  • Specific sales (Labor Day, Black Friday, etc.): 56%

  • Seeing holiday decorations/décor in-store: 31%

  • Family and friends starting their shopping: 30%

When do Kroger shoppers typically start planning for the fall/winter holidays?

  • Halloween: 47% plan 2 weeks – 1 month ahead

  • Thanksgiving: 59% plan 2 week – 1 month ahead

  • December Holidays: 63% plan 1-3 months ahead

Holiday Sales Event Spotlight: Black Friday and Cyber Month, the two biggest events appeal to all generations, though with a skew to younger shoppers.

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2024 Halloween Spotlight

Shoppers are sticking to the tried-and-true Halloween traditions and will make seasonal purchases to celebrate.

How shoppers are celebrating Halloween:

  • Decorating my house: 53%

  • Carving a pumpkin: 48%

  • Staying home & handing out candy: 43%

  • Stocking up on candy to give out: 36%

  • Stocking up on candy for myself/family: 36%

  • Going trick or treating in our neighborhood: 33%

  • Going to a trick or treating event: 27%

  • Going to a Halloween party: 26%

  • Going trick or treating in someone else's neighborhood: 23%

In-store shopping is favored for Halloween purchases

Where shoppers are planning to shop for Halloween:

Decorations:

  • Physical Mass Retailer: 43%

  • Physical Grocery Store: 33%

  • Will not be purchasing this year: 26%

Candy:

  • Physical Grocery Store: 62%

  • Physical Mass Retailer: 43%

  • Club Store: 23%

Costumes:

  • Will not be purchasing this year: 37%

  • Physical Mass Retailer: 25%

  • Online Mass Retailer: 19%

Say vs. Do: Halloween day is biggest for candy sales!

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Shoppers are looking for deals and savings on candy, decorations and costumes. % of shoppers looking to cut back on Halloween supplies:

  • Candy: 37%

  • Decorations: 36%

  • Costumes: 30%

  • Food for gathering: 22%

  • Beverages for gathering: 22%

  • I do not plan to cut back on any Halloween supplies: 28%

2024 U.S Presidential Election Engagement and Outlook

To what extent are shoppers keeping up with the Election? (T2B, M3B, B2B on 7-point scale)

  • Extremely engaged: 34%

  • Moderately engaged: 57%

  • Extremely unengaged: 9%

The top 3 things shoppers are holding off doing until after the Election:

  • Holding off on buying a big-ticket item: 18%

  • Holding off on investment decisions: 15%

  • Holding off on purchasing a car: 13%

  • Are not holding off on doing anything until after the election: 53%

% of shoppers holding off on purchase decisions by age:

  • Shoppers 18-34: 62%

  • Shoppers 35-54: 44%

  • Shoppers 55-74: 42%

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Source: 84.51° Real Time Insights Survey, September 2024.

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