More than Half of Adults Set a Budget on Holiday Shopping

New York, NY - Six in ten (60%) U.S. adults set a budget on their holiday gift shopping, while four in ten (40%) do not, according to a new poll of over 1,000 adults conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Offers.com. However, they are more evenly divided when it comes to making holiday gift lists, with just over half (53%) saying that they do so. These findings are very similar to those of last year's survey, in which about six in ten (62%) reported that they set a holiday shopping budget, and half (51%) said that they made a holiday gift list.

• Those more likely to set a holiday shopping budget include women (64% vs. 57% of men), and those with an annual household income under $50,000 (67% vs. 56% of those with a higher income).
• While women are also more likely to make a holiday gift list than are men (63% vs. 42% respectively), those with a lower annual household income are less likely to do so (48% vs. 56% of those with an annual household income of $50,000 or more).

Majority Plan to Spend $400 or Less

Over half (54%) of adults plan to spend $400 or less on gifts for friends and family this holiday season, including one in five (21%) who plan to spend between $1 and $200, and one in four (25%) who plan to spend between $201 and $400. One in five (21%) plan to spend between $401 and $600, while just one in ten (10%) plan to spend between $601 and $800, and 15% plan to spend between more than $800. Just under one in ten (8%) say that they do not plan to spend any money on gifts this holiday season.

• Those most likely to say they plan to spend over $600 include parents (37% vs. 20% of those without kids), and those aged 35 and over (30% vs. 13% of those aged 34 and under).
• At the same time, those aged 55 and over are more likely to not be planning to spend any money on gifts this holiday season (11% vs. 6% of those under 55).

Shopping Planned for Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday

Close to half of all adults are planning to shop on Thanksgiving Day, including about one in six (16%) who plan to shop primarily online, one in eight (13%) who plan to shop primarily in stores, and one in five (20%) who plan to shop both online and in stores. Just over half (52%) say that they don't plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day.

• Those under 35 are more likely to be planning to shop online on Thanksgiving (26%, vs. 14% of those aged 35-54 and 9% of those aged 55 and over), while those aged 55 and over are more likely to not have any shopping plans for that day (70% vs. 49% of those aged 35-54, and 33% of those aged 18-34).

Black Friday is the more popular shopping day, with a majority (53%) saying that they plan to shop the day after Thanksgiving, on par with last year's findings. This includes 15% who plan to shop primarily in stores, 20% who plan to shop primarily online, and 18% who plan to do both.

• Much like last year, those under 35 are more likely to be planning to shop online on Black Friday (25%), as are those aged 35-54 (21%), while those aged 55 and over are less likely to have such plans (15%).
• Also on par with last year, adults with a higher household income are more likely to be planning to shop primarily online (23% vs. 16% respectively).
• Those with children in the household are also more likely to be planning to shop on Black Friday (70% vs. 46% of those without children), as are those who set a holiday shopping budget (58% vs. 45% of those do not).
• In this recent study, more women are planning to shop primarily in stores than are men (17% vs. 12%), a difference not observed in 2013.

More plan to shop on Black Friday than on Cyber Monday, with just under half (47%) saying that they plan do get some of their shopping done the Monday following Thanksgiving.

• Those aged 18-34 (59%) as well as those aged 35-54 (51%) are more likely to be planning to shop online on Cyber Monday compared to those aged 55 and over (31%).
• Those with a higher income are also more likely to be planning to shop online on Cyber Monday (52% vs. 40% of those with a lower household income).
• Residents of the Northeast are also particularly likely to have such plans (57%, vs. 44% of those in the Midwest, 46% of those in the South, and 42% of those in the West).

Majority of Adults Make Online Purchases at Least Monthly

Regardless of the season, most adults say that they make purchases online, including one-third (33%) who do so monthly, 15% weekly, and 5% more than once a week. Four in ten (41%) say that they make a purchase online a few times a year, and only about one in twenty (6%) say that they never do so. These findings are very similar to those of the 2013 study.

• Adults under 35 are more likely to be more frequent online shoppers, with three in ten (30%) doing so at least weekly, compared to 18% of those aged 35-54 and 12% of those aged 55 and over.
• Those who are also particularly likely to make purchases online at least weekly include men (24% vs. 16% of women); those with children in the household (27% vs. 17% without kids); and those with a higher household income (24% vs. 14% of those with a lower income).

Most Online Shoppers Look for Coupons Online when Shopping for the Christmas Season

Close to nine in ten (89%) of online shoppers say that they look for coupons, deals or sales before making a purchase when shopping for the Christmas season, including one in five (18%) who do so every time they are shopping online, and one in four (27%) who do so most of the time. An additional 29% do so sometimes, though many say that they rarely (15%) or never (11%) do.

• Greater proportions of women (52% vs. 37% of men) look for coupons, deals or sales most of the time or every time prior to making a purchase during the holiday season.
• While a majority of online shoppers under 55 (56% of those aged 18-34, and 50% of those aged 35-54) look for online deals or coupons most of the time or every time, just 29% of older adults say they do so.
• Those who live in the Northeast are particularly likely to look for coupons before making a holiday purchase, with about three in ten (28%) saying that they do so every time, compared to less than one in five each in the Midwest (12%), the South (18%), and the West (15%).

In contrast, online shoppers look online for coupons, deals or sales with less regularity before making purchases for other holidays, such as Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. One in seven (14%) say they always do so, while 20% do so most of the time. Three in ten (30%) sometimes look for these deals or coupons, while 21% only rarely do so, and 15% never do.

Many Online Holiday Shoppers Start Early

Among the 94% of U.S. adults who make purchases online, over one-third (36%) say that they do the majority of their online holiday shopping throughout the year. One in eight (12%) do the bulk of their shopping from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, while close to four in ten (37%) do most of their online shopping from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Eve. Just 1% wait until Christmas Eve to do most of their shopping, and 15% do not do any of their holiday shopping online. These findings are similar to those of 2013.

• Those most likely to say that they do not do any of their holiday shopping online include those aged 55 and over (23% vs. 13% of those aged 35 -54, and 9% of those under 35); men (18% vs. 12% of women); and those with a lower household income (22% vs. 10% of those with a higher income).
• Those with a higher household income are more likely to do the majority of their online holiday shopping from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Eve (43% vs. 27% of those with a lower income).

Most Younger Adults Will Use Mobile Devices in Holiday Shopping

Over four in ten (44%) of all respondents say they will use their mobile device when shopping this holiday season, including to look for coupons or deals (30%); compare products at different stores (24%); check product reviews (22%); and to make purchases (19%). At the same time, a majority (56%) say do not plan to use their mobile device when holiday shopping.

• Younger adults are particularly likely to use their mobile devices when shopping in at least one of these ways, with seven in ten (69%) of those aged 18-34 saying that they will do so, compared to over four in ten (44%) of those aged 35-54, and one in five (21%) of those aged 55 and over.
• More respondents with a higher household income plan on using their mobile devices for holiday shopping (47% vs. 39% of those with a lower income).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Offers.com from October 13 to October 14, 2014. For the survey, a national sample of 1,007 adults from Ipsos' U.S. online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the U.S. adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of 1,007 adults and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in the United States had been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release please contact:

Rebecca Sizelove Associate Vice President Ipsos Public Affairs 212.584.9253 [email protected]

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