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The clock is ticking to finish, or in many cases, “begin” for holiday shopping – as much as 60% of holiday shoppers say they still haven’t started yet. But when they do, new CivicScience data show big-box stores could play a prominent role in where they’re going to shop this year – 50% of holiday shoppers say they plan on spending the most money on holiday gifts at big-box retailers like Walmart and Target, marking a four-point increase from 2023 and a 10-point jump from 2022. Big-box shopping plans also appear to be well ahead of plans to shop at small businesses (17%) and department stores (15%).1
One retailer sure to factor into many holiday shopping plans as a result of this increased push toward big-box shopping? Walmart. The latest CivicScience data show 57% of U.S. adults are fans of Walmart, but many (60%) Walmart favorables (who are planning to do holiday shopping this year) report they haven’t started shopping for the holidays yet.
Here are five key findings from the CivicScience database of over 5 billion consumer responses:
1. Walmart shoppers say they plan to spend ‘more’ on holiday gifts this holiday season.
Data show Walmart customers planning to holiday shop are more likely to say they plan on spending more (29%) this year than less (25%). The plurality (46%), however, expects to spend about the same. This is slightly ahead of the average holiday shopper who is more likely to say they plan to spend ‘less’ (28%) this year compared to last year. 2
Let Us Know: How much do you expect to spend this holiday season as compared to last holiday season?
2. Deals and promotions are a leading factor influencing where Walmart customers decide to shop for holiday gifts.
Thirty-nine percent of Walmart customers who plan to shop for holiday gifts cite deals and promotions as their most important factor when deciding where to shop for gifts, far outpacing the second choice, ‘free shipping’. They largely mirror the average holiday shopper while having slightly more interest in Buy Now, Pay Later options.
3. Online shopping looks to rule the day for Walmart’s holiday shoppers.
Slightly more than the 2-in-5 report they’ll be doing at least 50% of their gift shopping online this year, trailing the average holiday shopper by four points. Conversely, only 14% report they will be shopping entirely in-store.3
4. Gift cards, clothing/apparel/jewelry are among the leading holiday purchasing plans for Walmart fans.
Gift cards are increasingly likely to be holiday gifts this year, and it appears they will be a popular gift among Walmart Shoppers as well – 55% of Walmart fans planning to purchase holiday gifts this year say they’ll be buying gift cards. Clothing/apparel/jewelry and toys also rank high on their holiday shopping lists this season.
Join the Conversation: How do you plan to pay for most of your holiday gift purchases this year?
5. Many Walmart customers will be busy shopping for deals during Thanksgiving weekend.
A majority of Walmart shoppers say they plan to shop at some point during Thanksgiving Weekend this year. More than a third said they will take advantage of Black Friday shopping, while roughly one-quarter will explore Cyber Monday deals. Though Walmart will once again be closed on Thanksgiving Day, 9% of its shoppers will be doing holiday shopping, online or elsewhere in-person.
As holiday shopping intensifies, Walmart is poised to capture a noteworthy share of gift spending, driven by a shopper base looking to spend more this year. With many still awaiting the right deals, targeted promotions and online conveniences could be key to converting this anticipation into action.