Ahh...holiday shopping. A time we can all truly appreciate. A
time, where despite our best intentions, we often become flustered, aggravated
and downright cranky after spending hours in a department store or mall.
According to a recent survey by Trenton, N.J.-based Opinion Research Corp.
(OPR), a whopping 64 percent of U.S. consumers feel that holiday shopping would
be less irritating if retail stores offered more self-service options. And 72
percent of young adults prefer self-service options for the holiday season.
The
survey was performed in conjunction with Dayton, Ohio-based NCR Corp., which
specializes in self-service retail technologies. So, for a moment, lets ignore
the self-serving (no pun intended!) nature of this survey and instead explore
how self-service options may make all of our lives easier, particularly during
the holidays.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE the self-serve checkout at
Fred Meyer's, QFC and other grocery retailers. With self-serve checkout, not
only do I get through the line faster, but I feel uber empowered taking care of
my grocery needs all by my grown-up self. Today, most grocery stores feature a
plethora of gift card options, adding to the ease of holiday shopping. And
that's probably why gift cards are becoming one of the best (and most wanted)
gifts during the holidays. According to last year's survey by BIGresearch on
behalf of the National Retail Federation, 2006 gift card purchases totaled more
than $24 billion. Two-thirds of consumers will buy at least one gift card
during the holiday's, with consumers, on average, purchasing more than seven
cards per year.
The main reason consumers give gift cards is simple: they're
pressed for time and don't know what else to purchase. The OPR survey reports that 71 percent just don't
know what to buy friends and loved ones, 47 percent buy cards to alleviate
return hassles, and another 45 percent love that gift cards take less time to
purchase than traditional gifts.
Product locator kiosks are the most popular self-serve option,
with self-service return running a close second, followed by gift card kiosks,
Internet shopping and self-serve checkout. When it comes to shopping, we're truly
an independent bunch.
This brings us to the after effects of holiday gift giving. While
often fun, sometimes gifts don't hit the spot. Like that reindeer sweater your
Aunt Edna got you for the second year in a row (you know, the one with the
fuzzy red ball for a nose?). So, it's no surprise that gift returns are among
the biggest concern for holiday shoppers. Add a self-serve gift return and
you've just made a lot of your customers very happy.
In today's busy world and with the holidays sneaking up on us faster
than ever, time is critical. The demand for self-serve kiosks and the popularity
of gift cards only shows how pressed for time we all are.
So, do you have any holiday shopping tips or self-serve
experiences you want to share? We'd love to hear from you!
In the meantime, I'll be out purchasing gift cards for everyone
on my Xmas list...
--Heather Strang