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RAPAPORT... Accenture's annual Christmas-shopping intention survey revealed that the average U.S. consumer who plans to buy gifts is expecting to spend about $646 this year, representing an 11 percent increase from one year ago. But the consultancy firm also found that 94 percent of shoppers will be hunting for ''sizable discounts'' from retailers. The survey also noted a strong appeal for Black Friday shopping, the highest in five years, coupled now with the ability to shop on Thanksgiving Day, which retailers only recently embraced to boost sagging sales.
One in five U.S. consumers expect to spend more this year on Christmas gifts than they had in 2012, a gain of six percentage points and 18 percent indicated that they would spend less, while 62 percent plan to spend the same as last year. Forty-six percent of shoppers told Accenture that they were ''more likely to overspend'' on their Christmas budget this year, up from 34 percent in 2012. Fewer consumers expect economic concerns to impact their shopping plans this year at 24 percent compared with 28 percent in 2012. The survey was conducted in September, before the federal government shutdown. 
Retailers that open their stores on Thanksgiving Day have already won over a near majority. Thirty-eight percent of shoppers surveyed said they were likely to shop on Thanksgiving Day and, of those consumers, 41 percent indicated that they will be out shopping between 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and 5 a.m. on Black Friday. Nonetheless, 41 percent of those surveyed said they will not shop on the traditional holiday of Thanksgiving in order to spend quality time with family and loved ones.
“The average dollar spend is trending up, and we are seeing a consumer mindset shifting from ‘cautious’ to ‘sensible,’ which is good news for retailers,” said Chris Donnelly, the global managing director of Accenture’s retail practice. “However, retailers are mindful that during the 2013 Thanksgiving-Christmas shopping period, they will have six days less in which to tempt shoppers through their doors, so many will go big and go early. Thanksgiving Day shopping is now a firm fixture in the holiday season. We will see more stores opening early on that day in order to capture their share of consumer spending. Although retailers’ main draw on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday will be ‘doorbuster’ deals, shoppers will be demanding discounts of 30 percent or more throughout the season.”
Accenture concluded that consumers also expect a seamless approach to shopping between in-store, online and mobile channels. Sixty-three percent of shoppers expect to practice ''showrooming,'' where they visit a store but check online for a better price and make the purchase. However, a similarly high proportion of shoppers (65 percent) also plan to participate in “webrooming,” or browsing online and then going to a store to make their purchase, according to Accenture. Forty-seven percent of respondents cited avoiding shipping costs as their primary motivation for webrooming, while 46 percent prioritized being able to touch and feel a product before purchase.
Donnelly added, “To be successful, retailers must be able to satisfy consumers who, more than ever, want to shop on their terms and expect every step in the journey to be a seamless one, whether they are online, shopping in a store or using their phones. The list of consumer expectations of how they should be able to shop – from finding the same prices and promotions in a store as they do online to buying online and returning to a store – is getting longer every day. Increasingly, holiday-season winners will be defined by their ability to deliver a seamless experience to the consumer.”
The survey identified other trends, as well, including 76 percent of shoppers will visit discount retailers, 50 percent will shop online-only retailers, and 35 percent expect to buy gifts at mainstream department stores, which is down from 39 percent in 2012. About 35 percent will shop at specialty retailers, such as jewelers, but most consumers planning to buy gifts from department stores and specialty stores plan to make those purchases in-store rather than online.
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