Black Friday likely to be busiest shopping day according to new data

AUSTIN, Texas - RetailMeNot, the largest marketplace for digital offers in the United States, today released the findings of its latest Shoppers Trend Report on Black Friday shopping habits.

According to a new survey conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of RetailMeNot, nearly 3 in 5 people (55%) still plan to shop on Black Friday this year, even though a majority of shoppers started purchasing holiday gifts back in September. Some key findings:

• Two in five (40%) consumers believe that Black Friday represents the best opportunity to save out of all the biggest sale days during the holiday season.

• While many Black Friday offers post as early as Thanksgiving Day, only 3% of Americans expect to get the best deals of the season on Thanksgiving.

• Nearly 3 in 5 (55%) consumers plan to shop on Black Friday, either online or in-store. Other popular sale days consumers plan to take advantage of during the holiday season include Cyber Monday (shopped by 45% of consumers), the day after Christmas (33%), Small Business Saturday on November 28 (30%) and Christmas Eve (23%).

  • While almost 1 in 5 (19%) consumers typically shop on Thanksgiving Day, this holiday ranks as the sixth-most-active holiday shopping day of the season.

  • Interestingly, consumers between the ages of 18 and 49 are more likely than those 50 and older to typically shop on Black Friday (71% vs. 34%).

"Whether shopping in-store or online this holiday season, consumers should take advantage of the, '5 Days of Savings,' beginning onThanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. Even with retailers opening doors on Thanksgiving, new research from RetailMeNot provides evidence that Black Friday may see a resurgence in shopping activity both online and in-store," said Marissa Tarleton, chief marketing officer, North America, RetailMeNot, Inc. "In recent years, consumers have come to question the value of deals in-store on this specific day. We are seeing three trends as a result of that sentiment: More consumers will shop online on Black Friday, a growing number of early-bird holiday shoppers are hunting for deals as early as October, and in-store shoppers utilizing mobile technology, like the RetailMeNot app, will seek out maximum value from their trip to the mall."

When to go shopping and why in-store?

• As the rise of concierge services become more mainstream, 62% of consumers say they would be willing to pay a fee for someone to shop for them on Black Friday. On average, these folks are willing to spend $95 for this service.

  • More than 1 in 10 (13%) would be willing to pay more than $100 for this service.

• As the in-store shopping experience has increasingly become more personalized and convenient, retailers are prepared to provide shoppers with unique in-store features such as "buy online, pick-up in-store" (BOPIS), curbside pickup, price matching and in-stock guarantees. What would motivate consumers to get off the couch and shop in-store on Black Friday? Survey respondents said:

  • The promise of higher discounts in-store compared to those online (54%)

  • Assurances of no checkout lines (31%)

  • A guarantee that their preferred size or color will be in stock (27%)

• Want to avoid the crowds? Sixty-eight percent of Black Friday shoppers say they will shop before noon. A note of caution, however: Consumers who wait until the afternoon or evening to shop either online or in-store will risk losing out on time-sensitive promotional offers and product inventory. Thanksgiving shopping behavior tends to bookend the big family meal. Of those who shop on the holiday, more than 2 in 5 (42%) will shop in the morning (6 a.m. to noon) and close to 3 in 10 (28%) will shop online or in-store during evening hours (6 p.m. to midnight).

Buy now vs. later

To score the best deals of the season, RetailMeNot recommends putting a holiday shopping plan in place before the madness begins. With a plan outlined, shoppers can breathe a little easier.

• Of those who do at least one thing to prepare to shop during the Thanksgiving weekend, more than 2 in 5 (45%) plan to check coupon websites like RetailMeNot.

• 43% of these folks plan to search online for leaked ads before the 5 Days of Savings, and 20% of shoppers plan to download shopping apps like the RetailMeNot app, which now features weekly ads from top retailers.

• Sign up for retailers' newsletters and follow brands' social handles to ensure even more discounts.

• The top five discounted retail categories the week of Black Friday (November 23–November 29):

  • Discounts by percentage off:

    • Computers/Electronics (52%)

    • Accessories, such as jewelry and handbags (50%)

    • Designer Clothing (45%)

    • Teen Clothing (41%)

    • Sports & Fitness (38%)

  • Average discount realized by RetailMeNot shoppers in 2014: 39% off

• The top five discounted retail categories the week after Black Friday (November 30–December 6):

  • Discounts by percentage off:

    • Office Supplies (46%)

    • Department Stores (43%)

    • Toys & Kids (41%)

    • Home & Garden (40%)

    • Food & Entertainment (38%)

  • Average discount realized by RetailMeNot shoppers in 2014: 40% off

What's new with the RetailMeNot shopping app?

This year, the Webby Award–winning RetailMeNot app just got better for the holidays. In addition to hundreds of thousands of deals from tens of thousands of the stores you shop, this top shopping app provides consumers with even more ways to save.

• Want cash back faster? For even more savings, take advantage of rebate deals at the stores you love. Simply look for the "Cash Back" offers, follow the instructions to submit your receipt from the app and get savings quicker.

• Shop the Weekly Ads. View the hottest deals of the week. The newspaper circular has just gone digital on the RetailMeNot app. Get Black Friday, Cyber Monday leaked ads and more right from your phone!

• Check out the Daily Deals page. To get up to 70% off the hottest products, the RetailMeNot app allows shoppers to browse curated stream of discounted product offers from merchants with mobile-optimized websites.

Get organized. Don't want to have dozens of apps from retailers on your phone? No problem. RetailMeNot will provide you deals for all your favorite stores, including offers typically only found on retailers' own apps.

Download the award-winning and free RetailMeNot app on iTunes or Google Play.