41% report doing majority of their holiday shopping online last year [Survey]

According to a recent Walker Sands poll, 41 percent of more than 1,600 consumers surveyed report buying all, or at least a majority of their holiday gifts online last year.

Aiming to get a better understanding of this year’s online holiday shopping trends, the 2017 Future of Retail Holiday Report (registration required) includes survey results on everything from how often consumers shopped online to the devices they prefer to shop with and the motivators behind their online buying habits.

Among the 41 percent who completed their 2016 holiday shopping online (defined as “high-frequency” online shoppers), 71 percent say that they shop online at least once a month. Forty-four percent of the high-frequency online shoppers report they are likely to make a purchase on a voice-controlled device in the coming year, and 66 percent said they have used Amazon Prime in the past year.

The survey broke down the device usage preferences among the high-frequency online shoppers, with 78 percent preferring to use a desktop, 48 percent a mobile device and 24 percent via a voice-controlled device.

When it came to the top motivators for shopping online, 81 percent said “free shipping options.” Speed of deliveries and shipments also ranked — with 40 percent claiming next-day shipping was a top motivator to buy online, and 39 percent listing same-day delivery.

More than half (59 percent) of the survey respondents had not used a same-day delivery service. Of those who had, the biggest majority turned to Amazon. Nineteen percent had purchased a same-day delivery via Amazon Prime, and 18 percent had used Amazon Prime Now’s two-hour delivery.

A third of the respondents said they would be willing to pay up to $10 shipping charge for same-day delivery, and 29 percent said they would pay up to $10 for same-day shipping.

“Shoppers are more concerned with timely delivery than a reasonable delivery charge,” says Walker Sands, noting that online retailers should consider alternative options like in-store pick-up or third-party delivery services.

The survey findings revealed that 79 percent of the high-frequency online shoppers are open to third-party delivery options — like Uber, Postmates and Deliv — for a number of products, including books, clothing and apparel, electronics and household goods.