Welcome to UserTesting HITs, an ongoing series in which we share human insight trends (HITs) that we uncover from studies conducted by the UserTesting team. We hope you find these insights interesting and that they inspire you to conduct similar studies of your own! In this study, you'll learn how consumers across the US and UK are planning for the holiday shopping season amid the pandemic, and how retail companies can start preparing now.
With an estimated 45% of consumers planning to spend less this holiday season, retailers are beginning to prepare for an unprecedented shopping season. To better understand what retailers should expect, we spoke with consumers in the US and UK to learn how they plan to shop for the holidays in light of the pandemic.
Not surprisingly, consumers expect to be more cautious with their spending this year. Shoppers who are currently employed say they plan to be conservative with spending, primarily to give themselves a cushion in the event they're laid off or furloughed. Only a few participants noted they planned to spend the same or more based on
their own sense of job security, or that their income has been stable, but their bills have reduced during the pandemic.
It [my spending] depends on whether or not I find a decent job again before the holidays."
If companies aren't following proper protocol or making necessary changes due to COVID-19, then I most likely will not shop there."
Have you conducted a similar study? Did these findings inspire you to run some experiments of your own? Insights are always best when shared, so share your biggest "a-ha" moments with us on Twitter with #RealHumanInsight.
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