Ware2Go Holiday Survey: 87% of Americans Say the Holidays Will Be Different This Year, With Plans to Buy Most Gifts Online, Shop Earlier, and Spend More Money

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ware2Go, the UPS (NYSE:UPS) founded on-demand fulfillment network and integrated tech platform enabling merchants of any size to offer one-to-two-day shipping, today announced results of a new survey about Americans’ holiday shopping plans for 2020. Most consumers (57%) are planning to shop online earlier this year in order to ensure their gifts are delivered on time -- 62% have already begun shopping:

• 19% finished their shopping in October
• 61% plan to shop in November
• 21% plan to shop in December.

Despite the strain of the pandemic, over half (54%) of survey respondents expect to do more holiday gift shopping this year than they did last year, and 83% report that they will be doing more of that shopping online than in previous years. In addition, this holiday season 63% of Americans plan to shop with new brands they have never purchased from before, giving brands the opportunity to acquire new customers.

A significant majority (79%) of those surveyed are concerned about getting their online gift orders on time this year, and 71% of Americans say that a two-day shipping option for holiday shopping is important to them.

Supporting Local Businesses

Most respondents (76%) say they feel more compelled to support small businesses as a result of the pandemic, with over half (53%) planning to participate in Small Business Saturday this year. Some 56% will shop in-store, 44% will shop online, and 32% plan to give gift cards from small businesses as presents. Survey respondents said that their greatest motivation for shopping small this year include:

• Benefit to the economy (55%)
• Unique product offerings (44%)
• Personalized experience (41%)
• Greater service levels (33%)

A Different Kind of Holiday Season

The global coronavirus pandemic is sure to affect the way Americans celebrate the holidays this year. In fact, 87% of survey respondents believe that the holidays will be different this year.

• 55% say they will mail gifts to friends and family
• 35% say they will do all of their holiday shopping online
• 32% say they are scaling back on their holiday shopping
• 31% say they won’t be traveling to see loved ones
• Only 14% say nothing will be different about their holidays this year

“We understand that on-time delivery is an important aspect of the customer experience, especially during the holidays,” said Ware2Go CEO Steve Denton. “Shipping volumes have been operating at peak levels for big box stores and small businesses alike for months, but flexible solutions like Ware2Go’s on-demand fulfillment services offer sellers the agility to meet customer expectations regardless of the sales channel or delivery method.”

The Most Popular Gifting Items

Americans are giving traditional holiday gifts in 2020 as well as items that reflect our new stay-at-home pandemic reality and associated extra time for hobbies such as pets and fitness. While 26% of Americans plan to give homemade gifts this year, the most popular gifting items are:

• Gifts for a pet (63%)
• Toys and games (50%)
• Big box store gift cards (48%)
• Clothing (46%)
• Fitness or gym equipment (44%)

The Ware2Go Solution

Ware2Go provides businesses of all sizes with cost-efficient access to industry-leading warehousing, fulfillment, technology, and financial services so they can optimize their logistics, compete, scale, and grow. Ware2Go services help enable merchants to maximize the efficiency of their entire supply chain and develop high-functioning distribution networks to reach eCommerce customers across the U.S.

About the Survey

Conducted in October 2020, this consumer survey was conducted by Propeller Insights on behalf of Ware2Go. It polled more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, ranging in age from 18 to older than 75, about their 2020 holiday plans and shopping interests and preferences.

About Ware2Go

Ware2Go, a UPS Company, operates a turnkey nationwide fulfillment network designed to help merchants easily position products closer to end customers for a fast, inexpensive and reliable order-to-delivery experience. Ware2Go offers an integrated solution for storage, pick, pack, and shipping services to businesses of all sizes through an intuitive cloud-based technology platform that makes it easy to extend your distribution footprint and scale up and down as your operational needs change. Ware2Go simplifies nationwide fulfillment to help you meet your customers’ needs and expectations.