New survey indicates 50% of U.S. shoppers say inflation will impact their plans for spending on Thanksgiving food and holiday gifts
November 08 2023 - 8:00AM
Advantage Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: ADV) today unveiled “Holiday
Spending 2023: Consumers Share Food- and Gift-Shopping Plans,” an
annual holiday survey of 1,100 U.S. adults aged 21 and
over. In a year marked by rising food and product
costs, 50% of all respondents said that inflation will alter
their spending on food this Thanksgiving. Within this group, nearly
60% say they are anticipating spending more money on food compared
to last year, including 28% who anticipate spending more to buy the
same amount of food and 13% planning to spend more on less
food.
Among the 62% of all respondents who plan to host a
Thanksgiving gathering this year, one in three stated they will
host fewer people due to inflation’s impact on food
prices.
When it comes to gift giving this holiday season, nearly half
(47%) of gift buyers stated inflation will alter how they plan to
spend this holiday season. Among this group, 63% expect to buy
fewer gifts this year compared to last year, including the 13% who
plan to spend more money but buy fewer presents.
“There is no doubt that the rising cost of food and other goods
will have a direct impact on how Americans celebrate the holidays
this year,” said Gil Phipps, senior vice president, global customer
solutions for Advantage Solutions. “With inflation remaining
stubbornly high, expect to see smaller Thanksgiving gatherings,
with more households hosting, as shoppers struggle to make ends
meet.
Among the survey’s other findings:
- Forty percent of survey respondents indicated they expect to
spend more on food for December holidays, such as Christmas,
Hannukah and/or New Year’s Eve celebrations, this year, with 16%
anticipating spending “much more.”
- Inflation is causing holiday hosts to reconsider their plans,
with more than one-fourth of those hosting December holiday
get-togethers planning to host fewer people this year.
- Seventy-five percent of Thanksgiving food shoppers anticipate
shopping at a brick-and-mortar big-box store, such as Walmart or
Target, for at least some of their shopping list items. Almost half
(48%) will head to grocery stores and four in 10 (43%) will shop at
warehouse club stores. In a sign that consumers are value-shopping,
14% will purchase some of their Thanksgiving foods at dollar
stores.
- A retailer’s promotions on Thanksgiving staples will influence
where eight in 10 food shoppers spend their money, with one-third
of those saying where they buy their Thanksgiving food will be
“very much” influenced by low prices and discounts.
- Asked how they’ll be spending their holiday budgets, 38% of
adults reported gifts will get the biggest share of their dollars.
Thirty-one percent ranked food as the No. 1 category of holiday
spending. And 13% ranked gifts for themselves as their No. 1
spending area.
- Attractive prices and great deals make up the most important
factor influencing where holiday gift buyers will spend their
money. The second most important factor is the availability of the
product they’re looking for. The ease of the transaction and
whether a trusted brand is available are also significant
considerations when consumers are choosing where to shop for gifts.
A retailer’s return policy/cost of returns and whether shoppers
feel a retailer is trustworthy are ranked lower as influencers but
are nearly equal factors in shoppers’ minds.
“Shoppers are expecting inflation to meaningfully impact their
gift purchases this holiday season,” Phipps said. “Many shoppers
say they will shop around and even look to alternative channels to
find value in their gift purchases. This will add additional
pressure to these already busy times. Shoppers will feel the dual
stresses of stretched budgets, and with more time spent searching
for bargains, less time to savor the season.”
Download the full report here.
About Advantage SolutionsAdvantage Solutions is
a leading provider of outsourced sales and marketing solutions to
consumer goods companies and retailers. Our data- and
technology-driven services — which include headquarter sales,
retail merchandising, in-store and online sampling, digital
commerce, omnichannel marketing, retail media and others — help
brands and retailers of all sizes get products into the hands of
consumers, wherever they shop. As a trusted partner and problem
solver, we help our clients sell more while spending less.
Headquartered in Irvine, California, we have offices throughout
North America and strategic investments in select markets
throughout Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, through which we
serve the global needs of multinational, regional and local
manufacturers. For more information,
visit www.advantagesolutions.net.
Peter Frostpress@advantagesolutions.net
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