New Oracle research shows the inflation grinch is pushing Australian consumers to shop early and price hunt, while 52% say they will consider a store financing plan
Retailers looking to tech to optimise pricing and inventory to meet consumer demands
SYDNEY, Australia—10 November 2022A new Oracle Retail consumer research study found that price will be paramount this holiday season as shoppers in Australia are increasingly worried about inflated costs and tighter budgets. In response, 63% of consumers already have, or plan to, shop early to ensure they can get the items they want and have more time to shop for deals. Nearly 61% of shoppers said current economic factors will cause them to spend less overall and 52% said they would consider a store financing or payment plan to cover the costs of gifts. Ultimately, shoppers are ready to hit buy if the price is right, with 63% of people noting that cost will be the main factor in moving them from a browser to a buyer.
“Next to inventory availability, price is the leading factor in how and where Australian consumers will shop this holiday season,” said Damien McLaughlin, sales director Asia Pacific of Oracle Retail. “For retailers still dealing with the constant loop of limited inventory supplies or surpluses, getting merchandise and pricing strategies right will be make or break when it comes to managing margins and customer expectations.”
The survey polled 8,107 global consumers across 11 different countries in late September 2022, including 1,000 people in Australia. The Untold Insights survey asked consumers about holiday shopping plans and their post-pandemic retail habits. Unwrap your complimentary copy of the Retail Shopper Outlook: Consumer Research 2022 report.
Some 35% of people are worried they won’t have the money they would like to spend on holiday shopping due to rising commodity prices and 36% are concerned that the gifts they want to buy will be more expensive this year. As such, shoppers are committing extra time to finding the best deal and are considering payment plans to check items off their gift list.
More than three-quarters of people (73%) also plan to wait for big retail sales moments. While Black Friday still takes the crown with 41% of shoppers planning to participate, not far behind are after holiday sales (40%), Cyber Monday (23%), and Amazon Prime Days (21%).
Tired of staying in, shoppers are eager to give the gift of experiences this year. Top gifts consumers plan to buy more of this holiday season include:
With restrictions largely lifted, people are heading back to stores to holiday shop, but expectations for inventory availability remain high.
“Merchandise in the wrong place at the wrong time can be the biggest cost to a retailer,” added McLaughlin. “We know that out-of-stock inventory compromises top line growth and customer satisfaction. Equally as important is its impact on margins. Retailers must be proactive in their placement of inventory as they consider size, style, and colour of the assortment to avoid massive store-to-store transfer costs.”
Home delivery (66%) is still by far the most popular method to collect items bought online, compared to curbside (15%) or in-store pick up (13%). This creates urgency for retailers to ensure gifts are delivered on time while providing clear transparency along the way. In fact, 66% of consumers said receiving granular tracking as to the whereabouts of their purchase is important.
“With consumers headed back to stores, retailers must create an endless aisle experience,” said McLaughlin. “Whether this means an associate helping an in-store shopper find an item online and shipping it to their home or giving online shoppers an accurate view of product availability at their nearest physical location. To maintain loyalty, nearly every interaction needs to end with the consumer getting the product they want in time for the holidays. And that execution begins with order transparency.”
In 2022, email (28%) was the top place consumers find the most compelling offers and products, followed by in-store promotion at 18%, social medi at 15%, and brand websites at 11%.
Despite the hype, less than 1% of consumers turn to the metaverse to discover new products. And despite the rise in influencer B2C marketing, only 12% of consumers noted that seeing their favourite influencers suggest a product as the reason for them to hit the buy.
Nearly forty percent of consumers (37%) said they anticipate returning some gifts this year, with 19% saying they would return half to all of them.
“With many retailers beginning to charge for returns and over a quarter of shoppers already planning to make them, this holiday season could be end up as a detriment to customer loyalty,” noted McLaughlin. “While a return fee makes economic sense, retailers are likely to meet resistance from buyers who will be annoyed by the added cost and less likely to use the return opportunity to browse and buy additional items.”
Unwrap your complimentary copy of the Retail Shopper Outlook: Consumer Research 2022 report, and learn more about how Oracle Retail is helping retailers brace for the holiday rush and use data science to provide a holistic view of shopper interactions to make better inventory buying decisions and deliver more relevant offers to customers.
*Gen Z (18-24); Millennials (25-39); Gen X (40-54); Boomers (55+)
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