Cyber Week 2022 saw 196.7 million consumers shop in-store and online—making the shopping weekend a significant part of Thanksgiving tradition and winter holiday preparation. Many consumers plan for Cyber Week shopping much more intentionally.
Shoppers strategize game plans to ensure they take full advantage of the super savings on offer by curating wishlists, scouring social media for exclusive promo codes, and tapping into product reviews.
The impact.com Cyber Week Consumer Behavior research study reveals what brands can expect from consumers during this year’s shopping season. Use these insights to develop a comprehensive Cyber Week strategy that drives revenue and builds customer loyalty.
Key takeaways
- 86% of consumers plan to buy something during Cyber Week 2023.
- Brands should create glitch-free online experiences, as 48% of shoppers will purchase online.
- Optimize online shopping for smartphones, as more than 50% of respondents reported using mobile devices to shop online.
- 56% of consumers will spend the same amount or less than Cyber Week 2022.
- Attract consumers with enticing shopping perks—high-percentage price savings and discounts influence where consumers shop.
- More than half of shoppers plan to purchase items—on sale—off their wishlist.
- Product reviews will likely influence 4 out of 5 millennials.
- Customers will use the following ways to search got deals and promotions: Brand and store websites; emails; loyalty programs and reward sites; deals and coupon sites; and word of mouth.
8 consumer shopping insights retailers need to know
The consumer behavior research study conducted by impact.com’s Market Research team polled consumers aged 18 to 70 with an annual household income of $25,000 or more to discover their shopping intentions during Cyber Week this year. The analysis period relates to the data collected from 11 – 12 July 2023
The research data came from 1,164 American consumers who purchased something between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday in 2022. Brands can use these insights to determine:
- When and how consumers will shop during Cyber Week
- What factors will impact consumer decision-making
- How the current economy is moving consumer spending choices
1. 4 in 5 consumers are preparing to shop this Cyber Week
Over 80% of consumers are ready to fill and check-out their shopping carts this Cyber Week. Fewer than 1% of last year’s Cyber Week shoppers report not planning to participate this year. Except for 13% of shoppers still deciding whether to take advantage of Cyber Week deals this year, everyone else is preparing to check off their shopping list after the Thanksgiving holiday.
It’s the perfect time for brands to get on their customers’ radars. Notifying past customers of upcoming deals will create repeat purchases this shopping season and secure a spot on their wishlist in anticipation of Cyber Week.
2. Nearly half of consumers will exclusively shop online
A reported 79% of shoppers intend to make some online purchases during Cyber Week 2023—of which 48% plan to shop online exclusively. These intentions mirror how consumers behaved last year, with 48% of consumers purchasing goods online only in 2022.
However, while only 31% report they plan to shop in-store and online this year, 46% of shoppers augmented their digital purchases with physical shopping last year. High-percentage discounts and doorbusters may have played a role in driving more shoppers into stores last year, even if they didn’t initially intend to shop in person. The graph below shows consumer shopping intentions by generation for 2023.
*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding
Shopping intentions by generation showed a preference for exclusively shopping online this year. Surprisingly, Gen Z shoppers showed the most willingness to shop in-store—12% intend to forgo online shopping during Cyber Week 2023, while 35% intend to shop online and in-store. The 2022 shopping data shows that 51% of Gen Zers shopped in-store and online, while 10% shopped exclusively in-store.
3. Consumers will do more than 50% of online shopping on a smartphone
Rather than sitting down at the computer during Cyber Week, 52% of consumers intend to shop exclusively from their smartphones this season. Only 13% plan to use a combination of devices—including their smartphone, laptop, desktop computer, and/or tablet—to complete their purchases.
With Cyber Week 2023’s strong focus on shopping via mobile devices, retailers must provide a user-friendly shopping experience tailored to smaller screens. Streamlining the shopping experience across digital and in-person purchases will give brands a competitive edge. For example, drive smartphone shoppers in-store by allowing them to pick up their orders instead of waiting for delivery.
4. Shopper’s spending intentions will reflect Cyber Week 2022
Despite rising costs, only 25% of shoppers are tightening their belts this Cyber Week. A further 31% of consumers plan to spend as much as last year, while 20% will increase their budgets.
Nearly 1 in 4 shoppers don’t know how much they intend to spend—partly because 73% say product availability will influence their buying decisions. Additionally, they may be more likely to spend if the products they want are available at a discount.
5. High-percentage price savings and discounts influence where consumers shop
As a time historically influenced by savings, more than 80% of shoppers are on the hunt for the best offers during Cyber Week. The savings percentage offered at a particular store tops the rankings of factors influencing where consumers shop during Cyber Week.
Their second consideration is how the store generally prices their products, helping shoppers assess their savings’ significance. If a brand applies enticing discounts to expensive products or offers competitive pricing on consumer favorites, shoppers can walk away feeling like they made a quality purchase.
And the discount has to count. 1 in 4 consumers claim that 26 to 35% off is the minimum discount percentage that would inspire them to make a purchase, while 16 to 25% off will suffice for 20% of shoppers.
Consumers will turn to the following top sources to find and secure the best deals of the seasons.
6. Almost 80% of customers will use product reviews to guide their purchasing decisions
Nearly 4 in 5 customers report that they will check product reviews before they buy something during the shopping season. Leveraging key partners, like social media influencers, can create awareness of your brand’s special offers and provide important product information that influences a buy.
Working with partners to develop honest and in-depth product review content can give brands a leg up during Cyber Week. Additionally, providing partner-exclusive discounts and offers [e.g., free shipping] is a great way to push the needle.
7. Electronics, Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories top shopping wishlists
Looking into a consumer’s shopping cart will help you make more strategic marketing decisions. Brands can tap into different partner types to create personalized offers and a seamless online shopping experience to increase conversions. The top five items on consumers’ Cyber Week shopping wishlist:
- Electronics [49%]
- Clothing, shoes, and accessories [49]
- Computer and computer accessories [32%]
- Household appliances [28%]
- Toys [27%]
Shoppers will actively search for deals on electronics, clothing, or both during Cyber Week 2023. This highlights a significant change from last year, where only 35% of shoppers included electronics on their wishlists.
Similarly, computers and computer hardware were only on 11% of wishlists last year, whereas 32% of consumers will look for new computers this year.
This may be partly because some consumers put off buying new electronics last year due to concerns about the rising inflation rate. While 63% of last year’s consumers reported that the rising inflation rate influenced their spending, only 57% of shoppers said the same this year.
8. Over 50% of shoppers purchased their wishlist item on sale
With 54% of shoppers more likely to buy items on their wishlist on sale, accessing insights into online shopping carts and coupling them with enticing offers will be the winning formula for your brand. A further 48% have a game plan to use this period to buy holiday gifts for friends and family.
However, not every shopper goes into Cyber Week with a strategy for what they’ll buy. A reported 44% of shoppers will visit their favorite brands to check sales, while 24% intend to make spontaneous purchases on one of these deal days.
Interestingly 29% of consumers will look to their favorite publications, while 19% will turn to influencers to learn about upcoming sales.
Prepare with confidence for Cyber Week 2023.
There’s no denying that Cyber Week can bring in record-breaking online sales, and brands need all the data they can get to develop a strong marketing strategy. These eight consumer behavior insights will give your brand the perfect recipe to attract customers during this shopping season.
Forming new partnerships can help elevate your Cyber Week strategy and get your offers in front of new customers. Download the Cyber Week cheat codes for quick access to these customer insights to help position your brand for success this shopping season—and beyond.
Check out these impact.com resources for additional Cyber Week insights:
- Add to cart: 10 consumer behavior insights from Cyber Week 2022 [blog]
- Cyber Week 2022 Benchmark Report: Recapping key performance metrics [research report]
- Cyber Week benchmark report shows strong numbers for brands and publishers in retail [blog]
- Cyber Week cheat codes: Level up with key consumer insights [infographic]
