New research shows that 62 per cent are yet to decide on a brand or category to shop for this season, with 76 per cent of undecided shoppers to shop at key holiday sales events
The cost-of-living crisis is impacting ANZ shoppers this festive season, with a rise in bargain hunting over last year.
The new research from InMobi and Glance, which surveyed over 1,000 Australian and New Zealand smartphone users, showed that whilst the majority (65 per cent) still plan to maintain or increase their budgets. The 2023 Holiday Advertiser’s Guide for Australia and New Zealand reveals there has been a marked shift in buyer personas, with more bargain hunters and less shoppers sticking to specific brands:
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Bargain Hunters (62 per cent vs 51 per cent in 2022) who seek incentives before they make their purchases
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Category Explorers (27 per cent vs 28 per cent in 2022) who have decided on products to shop but not brands
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Brand Lovers (11 per cent vs 21 per cent in 2022) who know both the products and the brands they want
A combination of physical and digital shopping is more widespread this year with 64 per cent of shoppers planning to purchase both online and offline, a number that was only 44 per cent in 2022. However, despite shoppers relying on different channels at different phases of their shopping journey, mobile emerges as the top channel across categories, even for products that are traditionally bought offline, such as automobiles. 70 per cent cite convenience of ordering, 56 per cent like easy payments and 45 per cent are driven by app-only discounts. The only category that saw more offline shoppers was groceries, with 51 per cent stating they would buy them at physical stores.
“With bargain hunting a key driver for festive shopping this year, retailers will need to ensure they are present at all touch points of the shopping journey. This means understanding their online and offline behaviour to drive engagement and utility at the moments that matter to them,” said Jaclyn Hadida, country manager for ANZ at InMobi.
As the year draws to a close and the summer holiday and festive season arrives, ANZ consumers are getting ready to spend. Nearly half (47 per cent) have a budget of up to AUD$650, 39 per cent plan to spend between AUD$650 and AUD$1,200, while 14 per cent have more than AUD$1,200 to spend. Apparel & Accessories is the top category, followed by Beauty & Personal Care and Hobbies & Recreational Goods.
Five key ANZ consumer trends this holiday season:
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Webrooming dominates: while 64 per cent plan to explore purchases via mobile, only 38 per cent plan to buy on mobile, with 50 per cent making the final purchase in a physical store. 81 per cent cite getting to see or try the product as the main reason.
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Brand communication is vital: 48 per cent discover new products from brands’ websites and apps, and 45 per cent from brand newsletters, compared to 35 per cent from TV and just 16 per cent from newspapers, magazines and billboards
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Families first: 65 per cent of both men and women put their families first on the shopping list. 42 per cent of women and 37 per cent of men claim to drive the holiday shopping decisions, with women much more likely to bargain hunt than men (67 per cent vs 54 per cent)
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Price consciousness is key: 52 per cent of shoppers with reduced budgets and 38 per cent who maintained budgets stated the increased cost of living as the reason. Over 20 per cent of these shoppers were also concerned about increased prices.
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Night-time shopping: 44 per cent of holiday shoppers reported they tend to shop on mobile between 6pm and 10pm
