The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people discover and shop for Christmas. However, some trends such as those related to the intention to buy gifts remained in consumers, according to a study carried out by Deloitte Latin America.
In this way, the acquisition of gifts has become for the second year in a row the number one priority on the Christmas Eve shopping list, far surpassing the Christmas dinner, which ranked first in 2019. This time , both achieved 33% and 18% in consumer preference, respectively.
Likewise, 39% of those interviewed responded that they would spend the same as last year this Christmas, while 36% confirmed that they would reduce their expenses in relation to 2020.
On the other hand, the report also specifies that 6 out of 10 interviewees stated that they did plan to do their Christmas shopping. While 28% indicated that they would not do so, mainly due to factors related to unfavorable economic conditions and lack of employment.
Research and buy
Another trend this year is associated with the use of digital platforms. 93% of study participants stated that they first researched the product on the internet before making their purchase in physical stores or online. The majority function was to compare prices.
40% of these users used e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Mercado Libre, eBay, department stores and supermarkets to do so.
Preference for face-to-face purchases
The study also confirmed that Latin American buyers still prefer physical stores when purchasing a product. Only a quarter of the respondents indicated their preference for online platforms.
In the case of consumers in Mexico and Argentina, the choice of Christmas shopping in online media is between 21% and 50%, while in Colombia, Peru and Costa Rica the percentage is less than 10%.
Influence of social media
In an environment where social networks are increasingly popular, their prominence also influenced the purchase decision of 36% of participants from Peru and Ecuador. The response contrasts with the 47% of respondents from Mexico, Colombia and Argentina who minimized its impact.
The main functions that Latin American users give to social networks are to obtain gift ideas (37%), compare prices (29%) and read product recommendations (18%).
The most sought after gifts on the internet by Peruvians
Peruvians in their online purchases for Christmas stood out for choosing items related to fun, technology and entertainment, according to the Linio marketplace.
Thus, the list of the most wanted products is led by the PlayStation 5 Standard Edition, the JVC 32 ″ LED TV and the Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro 256GB 8GB phone.
On the other hand, the options that are positioned as trends in gifts of 2021 are those products alluding to some popular characters from the streaming series and those that went viral. “For example, the articles of series like ‘The Squid Game’, ‘The paper house’ or the recently released film Spiderman”, affirms Linio.
Motivations
On-line. 19% of consumers who bought online did so to avoid possible COVID-19 infections, for the comfort of shopping from home and for discounts or promotions.
Face-to-face 19% of people who visited a physical store did so to see other products that might interest them and to test the product for themselves.
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