The holiday shopping season has undergone a major shift, with a new Klarna study revealing that 40% of consumers began their holiday shopping earlier in 2021 than they did the previous year. This trend, detailed in Klarna’s 2021 Holidays Unwrapped report, reflects changing consumer priorities and the evolving retail landscape in the wake of pandemic disruptions and ongoing supply chain challenges.
Why Are Shoppers Starting Earlier?
Several key factors are driving this early shopping surge:
Desire for Holiday Sales: Nearly three-quarters (72%) of shoppers cite the need to capitalize on early holiday deals as the main motivator for getting a head start on gift buying. Supply Chain Concerns: With widespread reports of inventory shortages and shipping delays, half of shoppers (50%) are shopping early to ensure product availability, while 45% want to avoid shipping delays. Stress Reduction: 39% are eager to avoid the last-minute rush and the stress that comes…
with it. This early start is not just anecdotal. Klarna’s data, based on surveys of over 24,000 US shoppers and proprietary shopping trends from 20 million consumers, found that 71% of shoppers planned to begin holiday shopping before December, and 22% had already started by the time of the survey.
The Impact on Retailers and Spending Early shoppers are not only more organized—they’re also more lucrative for retailers. Klarna’s report highlights that this group plans to spend 16% more, on average, than those who wait until later in the season.
Over a third (34%) of all shoppers intend to spend more on gifts than last year, with Gen Zers (57%) and Millennials (53%) leading the charge in expanding their holiday budgets. Retailers are taking note, launching promotions and sales events earlier than ever.
Major chains like Target, and Walmart rolled out holiday deals and price match guarantees as early as October to capture these proactive shoppers…
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