Holiday shopping weekend social media buzz primarily revolved around TVs, PlayStation 5, and Airpods, according to a new report.
In the lead-up to the holiday season, a significant shift in shopping habits is underway, with consumers increasingly turning to social media for inspiration and mobile devices for transactions.
According to Sprout Social's report, social media platforms are becoming a popular destination for holiday shopping ideas. Black Friday shoppers, in particular, have been discussing items such as televisions, PS5s, Airpods, iPhones, and Xbox on social media.
The positive sentiment surrounding Black Friday and holiday shopping was evident in half of the social media postings during that time, indicating a generally positive outlook. Adobe Analytics predicts that for the first time, mobile shopping will overtake desktop buying, with online Black Friday transactions via mobile devices expected to reach $5.3 billion this year, marking a 10.4% increase from last year.
The preferred social media platforms for holiday gift inspiration differ by generation. Facebook emerges as the top platform influencing holiday gift ideas across consumers in general and is particularly popular among older generations like Gen X. YouTube ranks second, appealing broadly but often favored for video content that showcases gifts in use or reviews. Instagram, with its visual appeal and influencer recommendations, inspires about 45% of shoppers, especially among Millennials and Gen Z.
While exact platform preference by generation (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X) for holiday gift ideas is not fully detailed, typical usage patterns and preferences suggest that Gen Z favors visually rich and short-video platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Millennials and Gen Xers, on the other hand, are more likely to use Facebook and Instagram for holiday gift ideas.
A greater share of all U.S. consumers (33%) plan to buy some of their gifts via social media, according to unspecified research. Among younger shoppers (aged 18 to 29), 46.5% are turning to Instagram for holiday gift inspiration, and 38.5% are relying on TikTok. YouTube had 24.1% of shoppers planning to use it for gift inspiration, according to the JLL report. Instagram followed with 32.7% of shoppers planning to use it for gift inspiration, according to the same JLL report.
A Shopify and Gallup survey revealed that 48% of Gen Z shoppers plan to buy some of their gifts via social media, indicating a strong preference among the digital native generation.
In conclusion, this holiday season is expected to see a significant shift towards mobile shopping and social media for gift inspiration. Facebook leads for Gen X and older Millennials, Instagram and YouTube are strong among Millennials, and Gen Z favors visually rich and short-video platforms like Instagram and TikTok, aligning with their digital native profile and shopping habits.
- Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have emerged as significant sources of gift inspiration for shoppers, especially among younger generations, according to the JLL report.
- In a survey by Shopify and Gallup, it was found that 48% of Gen Z shoppers plan to buy some of their gifts via social media, highlighting a strong preference among this digital native generation.
- Mobile shopping is expected to overtake desktop buying this holiday season, with over $5.3 billion in online Black Friday transactions expected to be made via mobile devices, an increase of 10.4% from last year, says Adobe Analytics.
- While preparatory research doesn't specify the exact platform preference by generation for holiday gift ideas, it's predictable that Gen Z gravitates towards visually rich and short-video platforms like Instagram and TikTok, while Millennials and Gen Xers are more likely to use Facebook and Instagram for holiday gift ideas.
