Tech Spending Strong Online, in Stores, Surveys Find
Surveys of online and technology shoppers show that tech spending is strong overall, with many using mobile devices and computers to place orders, said various research released this week. Roughly 57 million U.S. adults shopped for technology during the Monday-Monday period of Black Friday Week, said Consumer Technology Association Senior Director-Research Shawn DuBravac on a media call. Nearly one in four U.S. adults shopped for technology during the week, allocating about half of their total shopping budget -- about $160 average -- to tech gifts, said DuBravac.
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Strong Thanksgiving in-store sales made Black Friday “weaker” in tech, where market demand isn’t strong enough to support two high-profile shopping days, said NPD analyst Stephen Baker in a Monday blog post. Tech-based stores are trying to compete for consumer dollars on Black Friday morning “only after the big box stores have captured much of the sales volume the night before,” Baker said. But he said “reports of regional stores doing well on Black Friday morning point out the strength that the regional model still holds in tech retail.” CTA data showed videogame consoles leading the list of tech products consumers planned to buy over Black Friday Week.
The National Retail Federation reported survey results Sunday indicating 121 million (49.5 percent) of consumers plan to shop online on Cyber Monday, down from the 126.9 million who did so last year. Some 103 million people shopped over the weekend, said NRF.
Holiday shopping is “no longer about one day, but a season of digital deals” and savvy shoppers scour the Web for exclusive promotions on Cyber Monday before checking out items they've placed earlier in their virtual carts, said NRF CEO Matthew Shay. “Shoppers have seen promotions roll out for the past several weeks, but if the price is right on Cyber Monday, they’ll definitely show up ready to spend.”
Most Cyber Monday consumers were to have used home computers, with a smaller share using mobile devices, said an NRF survey. It said mobile retailing continues to rise as more consumers rely on their smartphones and tablets to research products and find gift ideas. Retailers have optimized the mobile shopping experience to make it easier and “more dynamic” for consumers, said NRF Senior Vice President Vicki Cantrell.