Holiday Shopping Search Trends

“It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”

~ Andy Williams

 

The holiday season is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. It’s also the most exciting time of the year as everyone is looking to buy the perfect gift for those on their Christmas list.

It’s no surprise that people have turned to their mobile devices to research gift ideas and product information but the evolution of search has turned more and more people into Supershoppers. These savvy mobile users are always looking for the best and are open to new products and brands. Supershoppers aren’t only here for the holidays, they’re here to stay and their behaviours extend well after the tree is taken down.

 

“64% of smartphone shoppers turn to mobile search for ideas before heading to stores.”

 

Below are 3 holiday shopping trends that are happening right now.

 

Shoppers are looking for help in a hurry

Users are now much more demanding and impatient. They’re looking for the most relevant information and they want it now. Loyalty is toward those who can provide what they need when they need it most. This is just another example of how micro-moments are important as ever. Businesses need to learn how to capitalize on these moments of truth and ensure that they are positioned as trusted resources and guides for shoppers.

What are people searching for?

Search terms like these have seen huge growth in the past two years.

“Where to buy” grew over 85% with queries like “where to buy cards” and “where to buy gift boxes”.

Searches related to “Best“ products grew more than 50% in the past year.

 

Gift related terms also saw significant growth with terms like “unique gifts” and “cool gifts”. These terms saw an increase of 65% and 80% respectively.

 

Target Last Minute Shoppers

While there have been many changes in shopping behaviour, some old habits are hard to break. Procrastinators will be procrastinators and are shopping right up until the last minute.

It’s interesting to know that searches like “store hours”, “what stores are open now” and “what stores are open on Christmas” saw major spikes on Christmas day.

These searches were conducted by people hunting for last-minute items and dinner ingredients.  Your marketing efforts shouldn’t end when the stores close, it should extend to the new year and beyond.

 

Helping shoppers feel good about their purchase

These savvy shoppers are not only using search to research what they’re looking for, they’re also tapping into the expertise of others. Videos are becoming a great resource to hear what others are saying about products they’re looking for and to gain deeper insights beyond product specs.

“Shop with me” videos have soared in popularity and has seen 10 times the watch time in the last 2 years.

Other videos like “gift guide”, “store tour” and “unboxing videos” have seen tremendous growth as these videos fuel anticipation and provides useful product info. They also elicit emotional feelings and allow viewers to visualize the product they’re looking to buy.

To give you an idea of how much content is being generated through these videos, the amount of time people have spent watching unboxing videos on their phones is the equivalent of watching the holiday movie “Love Actually” more than 20 million times.

 

 

 

As we approach the holiday season, it’s important to remember that mobile users are quickly becoming Supershoppers. With 40% of online transactions now being done on mobile, it’s more important than ever for businesses to be positioned to capture those micro-moments.