Dive Brief:

• Shoppers plan to spend 12.5% more this holiday season, according to Deloitte’s 30th Annual Holiday Survey, but they plan to buy for themselves and their homes at the same time they buy gifts. 
• Two-thirds (69%) of consumers plan to research their purchases online, and those who shop across channels expect to spend 75% more than store-only shoppers.
• More shoppers (72%) plan to try out new and different stores and sites this season, including everything from local businesses (67%) to pop-up shops (26%).

Dive Insight:

Deloitte’s 2015 holiday survey of consumer intentions reveals that digital is not set to disrupt brick-and-mortar during the holidays so much as drive it. More than two-thirds of shoppers surveyed (69%) plan to research items online before going to stores to buy (a.k.a. “webrooming”), up from 58% last year. But only 52% will “showroom,” or look at stores before checking online for the same items (and perhaps a better price).

Digital, in fact, is a valuable complement to stores, driving higher average order value (multichannel shoppers expect to spend 75% more during the holidays than those who shop only in stores), and foot traffic, with 43% percent of shoppers planning to buy online and pick up in-store.

Shoppers surveyed say they will spend, on average, 12.5% more this holiday season, but not necessarily on gifts for others. Of the $1,440 average spend, the biggest increases from last year’s survey are expected in home furnishings (up 33%) and non-gift clothing (up 26%). Gifts are up just 6% to $487 this year, and half (50%) of shoppers plan to buy for themselves while shopping for others. 

Shoppers are less constricted by other conventions of holiday shopping, too, the survey says. Black Friday is going to be less important to 52% of those surveyed, and 72% will shop new or different venues this season, including everything from local stores (67%) to pop-up shops (26%).

“Shoppers have much more than gifts in their line of sight,” says Rod Sides, vice chairman of Deloitte LLP and the company’s retail and distribution practice leader. “Getting the early promotions and engagement right in the digital channels are core to winning the in-store purchase and the shoppers who tend to spend more."