NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Thanksgiving falling late this year and the government shutdown a recent memory, 48% of women say they will spend less this holiday season than last year. That’s just one result from the latest SheSpeaks/Lippe Taylor Women’s Buying Behavior Index which reveals that 25% of women go into the holiday season with every intention of “regifting” an item that someone else gave them. The survey of over 3,000 women covers issues ranging from serious (26% say they will spend less during the holidays because of the government shutdown) to more playful (among the worst holiday gifts ever, some poor woman once received a doorknob!).
“I find it interesting that only 16% of women say they plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day. This would seem to go against the retail trend to open stores before Black Friday. It’s possible consumers don’t want to feel pressured to shop on the actual Thanksgiving holiday, but would rather spend time with their families,” said Maureen Lippe, CEO of Lippe Taylor.
Released by SheSpeaks, the leading women’s insights & influencer company, and Lippe Taylor, the leading integrated marketing communications agency that specializes in “motivating women to buy,” highlights of the new research reveal:
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Cyber Monday Beating Out Black Friday
- 57% of women say they will shop on Cyber Monday vs. 50% on Black Friday, 33% on Small Business Saturday and only 16% plan to shop on Thanksgiving (so much for retailers planning to open early!)
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Watch out Facebook, Amazon Wish List is coming…
- When asked what social/digital resources they will use for holiday shopping 49% say Facebook with Amazon Wish Lists close behind at 43% followed by Pinterest (36%), Google (34%) and Twitter (22%)
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What do Women Really Want? Hint: Don’t go for the obvious jewelry
and lingerie
- Clothing (53%)
- Gift cards (49%)
- Beauty products (39%)
- Personal technology, i.e., tablets, mobile phones, gaming device (35%)
- Jewelry (24%)
- Lingerie (18%)
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Going Mobile
- 61% of women will use some type of mobile app for holiday shopping – coupon apps like retail-me-not (41%) and retailer apps (38%) are most popular, while 24% plan to use pricing apps
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Husbands & Boyfriends & Bosses, Oh My!
- 32% of women say extended family members give the worst holiday gifts, followed by parents/in-laws (17%), co-worker/boss (9%) and husband/boyfriend/partner (5%)
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It’s Still the Economy… that Matters
- 43% of women are “very” or “somewhat” concerned about their financial situation, up 19% from last year
- 48% say they will spend less during holidays than last year, a 30% increase from prior year
- 26% will spend less during holidays because of the government shutdown
- ‘Tis the Season for Regifting – 25% of women are planning to give someone else an unwanted gift that they received in the past
-
When asked “What’s the worst holiday gift you’ve ever gotten?”
some gems included:
- Paper napkins and plates
- Doorknob
- Expired food
- Hotel shampoo and conditioner
- Toilet seat
- Belly button brush
"Given the highly conflicting reports about how this holiday shopping season will pan out, with some retailers predicted very strong sales and others predicting soft sales, its noteworthy that 48% of women surveyed said they would spend less this year vs. last year. This is a steeper spending decline than the our survey indicated last year i.e., 30%,” said Aliza Freud, CEO of SheSpeaks.
Research methodology: This survey was fielded online among 3,361 SheSpeaks members from November 8-12, 2013. The sample is comprised of U.S. women aged 18 years and older.
For a copy of the survey, or to arrange an interview with Aliza Freud or Maureen Lippe, please contact Michelle Mandara (mmandara@lippetaylor.com).
About Lippe Taylor (www.lippetaylor.com)
Lippe Taylor is the brand-building, integrated marketing communications agency based in NYC. Founded by Maureen Lippe, former editor at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, the agency creates award winning campaigns for its clients. As a pioneer in marketing to women, Lippe Taylor specializes in helping brands “crack the code” on what motivates women to buy products. Since 1988, the agency has launched innovative programs for some of the world’s leading companies such as Allergan, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Clairol, J&J, L’Oreal, Nestlé, P&G and Reckitt Benckiser.
About SheSpeaks
SheSpeaks is a social activation & consumer insights platform that connects companies with female consumers. Companies work with SheSpeaks to build insight, spark consumer’s interest, spur authentic dialogue, generate earned media and build long-term brand advocacy. For more information, contact Carol Milliron at carol@shespeaks.com or 404.276.0076. Women interested in participating in SheSpeaks to have their voices heard should go to www.shespeaks.com/join.
