“The Indian consumers are kicking off their festive shopping early. The majority of consumers will start before November, with over half of them attributing earlier shopping plans to the effects of inflation- 60 pc of Indian consumers say they plan to start their festive buying earlier to avoid higher prices,” states report on festive buying by Integral Ad Science.
The report states that 86 pc of Indian consumers will start shopping before November. 96 pc of the consumers will maintain or increase their festive shopping budget from last year.
As per the report, inflation and higher costs for goods and services are also impacting consumer shopping plans. 93 pc of the consumers are concerned about inflation impacting their festive buying plans this year. 49 pc of the consumers plan to pay more attention to sales and discounts for their festive buying plans this year. While in-person shopping is returning, the consumers continue to prefer to shop online.
As health guidelines continue to change, some consumers will choose to participate in more in-person shopping this year. However, the majority of consumers will still do most or all of their shopping online–and only 2 pc of consumers plan to shop exclusively in stores.
When it comes to searching for the perfect gift, consumers rely on e-commerce and retail sites and video content. But that’s not all -over half of consumers say online advertisements help them research ideas for festive gifts.
The report states that not only are the consumers shifting toward digital channels for festive buying, they’re also going mobile. This year, 80 pc of Indian consumers will conduct most of their shopping on mobile devices, demonstrating the increased availability of retail through apps and social platforms. Consumers consider digital ads important to the festive shopping experience. With the majority of consumers planning to shop online, advertisers need to ensure their messages are reaching the right consumers and making an impact. In a recent study, IAS found that ads related to the content on a given page had more lasting, positive effects on consumers. Consumers agree that digital advertising is not only important for finding promotions or products, but can help relieve stress and save time.
