Mediacom Sites Worldwide Australia Austria Czech Republic Denmark 1 News 2 Blog ------ 2014 ------ 2013 ------ 2012 ------ 2011 ------ 2010 3 Blink 4 Sign up for Updates Hover over one of the links to find out more about this section Latest blog posts Five Things Startups Need to do to Attract Advertising Pounds, Dollars and Euros by Jon Hook, Head of Mobile, MediaCom Beyond Advertising A guide to holiday mobility. By Steve Carbone, Chief Digital and Analytics Officer, MediaCom USA Despite the long-term trend towards online, many of us still prefer the old-fashioned way of shopping. By Stuart Taylor, CEO of Kinetic UK Consumers will be glued to their mobiles before, during and after the holidays, says Ben Phillips, Global Head of Mobile, MediaCom Worldwide If you think everyone's just shopping for gifts, you're missing a holiday trick at Christmas. By Pauline Robson, Head of Real World Insight, MediaCom UK Read more blogs Blogroll MediaCom Beyond Advertising FTMF.info Sue Unerman Josh Krichefski, Huffington Post Jack Myers, MediaBizBloggers.com Wednesday, 01/10/14 1 2 3 4 5 'Tis the season to be selfish If you think everyone's just shopping for gifts, you're missing a holiday trick at Christmas. By Pauline Robson, Head of Real World Insight, MediaCom UK A combination of the recession and the rise of online shopping have served to create a fundamental shift in people's holiday shopping habits. Staying on top of these shifting buying patterns is crucial if brands and retailers want to win at this time of year. Shopping moves online and omnichannel Holiday 2013 saw online sales in December grow by 18% over the previous year, according to the IMRG Cap Gemini e-Retail Sales Index. This is hardly surprising. Consumers are becoming more confident online, and seek the convenience of browsing from the comfort of their armchairs while comparing prices and avoiding the store crush. In 2013, the big development was the impact of mobile, as 27% of December online sales were via a mobile device: double the amount from the year before. Tablets drove the most sales, while smartphones were primarily used for browsing. Many consumers also sought the best of both worlds by blending the choice of the Web and the convenience of brick-and-mortar. Across multi-channel retailers, "click and collect" made up 25% of sales. It's not just about the run-up to the holidays While most of the retail focus on holiday builds to Christmas, we are starting to see a shift in how people time their shopping. Finding that all important gift is important, but the shopping doesn't stop once and the presents are wrapped and under the tree on Christmas Eve. In fact, people's thoughts soon turn from altruism to selfishness as they move towards buying discounted presents for themselves. It has always been the case that people look to treat themselves in January. Quality is key We saw through our longitudinal study of the recession, Real World Money, that people's shopping habits and preferences have undergone a significant transition. Some of the money-saving behaviors that consumers have learned will remain in place even now that the economic recovery is underway. Value rather than cheapest price is key: consumers are looking for good quality at a fair price, not necessarily the least expensive product. Consumers are more willing to "mix and match," blending discount items with higher-priced treats. Related Articles 01/10/2014 Are the holidays coming earlier each year? 01/10/2014 At this special time of year 01/10/2014 Santa Claus is coming to town 01/10/2014 Twas the night before Christmas &amp; blog comments powered by Disqus Previous Consumers will be glued to their mobiles before, during and after the holidays, says Ben Phillips, Global Head of Mobile, MediaCom Worldwide Next Are the holidays coming earlier each year? By Jane Christian, MediaCom’s Head of Business Science 1 2 3 4 5 TOP Our news MediaCom's work for Etihad wins at Mobile Mafia Awards Read more news Latest blog posts Five Things Startups Need to do to Attract Advertising Pounds, Dollars and Euros by Jon Hook, Head of Mobile, MediaCom Beyond Advertising Read more blogs Twitter The latest updates from MediaCom Global It’s time to stop asking ‘how’ we deliver #mobile engagement and start asking ‘what,’ says MediaCom's @JonHook http://t.co/mgg0KGVrX8 Follow us on Twitter Feature 05/03 BLINK #7 is out now Winning in 2020 How can you be sure that your brand is ready to make the most of this new hyper-connected world? Read the article here Media Planning & Buying | MediaCom Jobs | Consumer Insights & Research | Integrated Agency | Communications Planning | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | FAQ | Sitemap MediaCom. People first, better results © Copyright 2014 MediaCom