Unveiling the Untold Secrets: 5 Mind-Blowing Statistics to Ignite Your Christmas Shopping Spree

UK consumers are expected to experience a decline of £3bn in their finances this Christmas in comparison to the previous year, as indicated by research conducted by ShipEngine and Retail Economics. This can be attributed to the ongoing cost of living crisis adversely affecting individuals' purchasing capabilities.

UK households predicted to have £3bn less to spend this Christmas

UK consumers are anticipated to commence their Christmas shopping earlier as a means to distribute the expenses and are projected to allocate £17.9bn online with a focus on securing more affordable prices. A larger proportion of individuals will be scaling down their expenditures on non-food items during the holiday season, as evidenced by 79% of respondents in a recent UK consumer survey indicating their intention to restrict spending in this domain. This represents a notable increase of 9% compared to the previous year.

34% of respondents attributed this to inflation, while 22% stated that their greatest concern this season is the lack of savings.

In contrast, retailers hold a more optimistic view, with nearly two-thirds of online merchants surveyed predicting that sales volumes will align with those of 2022, and 24% anticipating an increase in volumes.

Source: ShipEngine/Retail Economics

Accessibility issues causing consumers to discard online orders

Retailers that fail to prioritize accessibility are at risk of losing potential customers, as revealed by a survey of UK consumers. The survey highlights that a significant 55% of respondents have abandoned a purchase due to accessibility issues.

Additionally, the survey indicates that nearly half of UK consumers believe that retailers should increase the employment of individuals with disabilities specifically for the development and maintenance of their ecommerce websites. This insight is based on a representative sample of over 2,000 UK consumers.

51% of respondents believe that retailers should collaborate with disabled individuals to test their ecommerce websites. Among those surveyed, 17% expressed confusion regarding payment methods, while 16% struggled with fonts and colors. Additionally, 12% identified a lack of personalization as a concern when shopping online.

Meanwhile, more than a third (37%) welcome the introduction of a universal, legal and government-mandated accessibility standard to online retailers to ensure inclusivity.

Source: Quickfire Digital

Two in five podcast listeners find ads intrusive and skip them entirely

Research from polling firm YouGov reveals that 42% of podcast listeners now choose to skip ads, deeming them intrusive. This represents a significant increase from the 36% who reported skipping ads due to their intrusive nature in 2019.

One-fifth of respondents find ads intrusive yet still listen to them (18%). Another 14% do not consider them intrusive but also do not find them interesting. Among podcast providers, Spotify is the most popular (40%), followed by BBC Sounds (26%) and Apple Podcasts (23%). Comedy is the preferred genre (36%), followed by sports (24%), music (22%), news and politics (22%), and TV and film (21%).

According to YouGov, a higher percentage of podcast listeners, 44%, fall within the age range of 18 to 34. This is followed by 38% who are aged 35 to 54, while only 17% are over the age of 55. Additionally, podcast listeners are less likely to be parents or guardians compared to the national average, with 50% versus 40%. Similarly, they are also less likely to be married, with 38% compared to the national average of 43%.

Black culture is being portrayed better in ads than 10 years ago

A recent study conducted by the University of Cambridge, The Voice Newspaper, and I-Cubed Consultancy, with support from M&C Saatchi London, reveals that over three-quarters of black British individuals (77%) believe that the representation of black culture in advertising campaigns has significantly improved compared to ten years ago.

Approximately 55% of participants believe that black culture is depicted somewhat more positively in advertisements, whereas 22% think that the depictions are significantly better.

About 13% of respondents feel that the portrayals remain unchanged, while 6% believe they have slightly worsened. A mere 2% claim that ads drastically worsen the portrayal of black culture.

74% of the participants in the survey expressed their dislike for the term BAME (black, Asian, and minority ethnic), often stating "I identify as black, not BAME."

Additionally, the study examined the impact of race on education, revealing that 80% perceive racial discrimination as the primary obstacle to academic success, while only 8% have faith in the education system.

The overwhelming majority (95%) of respondents feel that black individuals are not adequately represented in the history lessons of the national curriculum.

Most marketers plan to increase or maintain use of retail data

Three-quarters (76%) of marketers plan to increase or maintain their investment in retail data in the coming years.

Currently, 79% of businesses utilize retail data, while 87% intend to incorporate retail data into their business plans within the next two years. However, only 13% of digital marketing budgets are currently allocated towards retail data.

Retail data is currently utilized by businesses for multiple purposes. It serves as a driver for sales (53%), aids in enhancing brand or product awareness (50%), and assists in measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns across various channels (50%).

Businesses that intend to boost their investment in retail data have specific objectives in mind. They aim to enhance their digital strategies (67%), optimize ecommerce operations (63%), and make advancements in shopper marketing (44%).

Source: The Trade Desk