Canadian holiday shoppers take retailer reputation into account before buying

Now that Halloween has passed, the time is just about right for the Christmas shopping season to start.

Studies released over the last few years continue to show that more Christmas shopping takes place online than ever before. Even when customers visit retail stores, research done on mobile phones plays a big part in purchase decisions. A new study conducted by research analytics firm Accenture shows that the purchase decisions customers face might be even more complicated than previously thought.

The Accenture Canada Holiday Shopping Survey, published this week for the fifth year, found that consumers are generally aware of a retailer’s reputation, and factor that into where they shop. In addition to good customer service, a company’s working conditions, community involvement, and ethics can all play into consumer opinions in one way or another.

While it’s been known for some time that brick and mortar shoppers will use in-store research to inform online purchases, the survey found that roughly the same percentage of consumers (around 75 percent) will look online and do research before making a purchase in a physical store.

The survey also showed that while online shopping is growing in popularity, a majority of Canadians still plan to do the majority of their holiday shopping in-store.

[source]Accenture[/source]