ICSC: Holiday shoppers to look for deals; discount department stores top choice

Most consumers will shop for gifts at discount department stores (63%) and traditional department stores (33%).

In some good news for retailers, more consumers will shop for the holidays this year than last.

Ninety-two percent of consumers (241 million) plan to shop this year, according to ICSC’s  Annual Holiday Shopping Intentions Survey. That’s six million more than in 2023 and the highest percentage since 2019.

In response to higher costs, most holiday shoppers consumers plan to spend more time looking for deals, the study found. Nearly half plan to take advantage of deals and promotions. And 68% agree that searching for discounts or exclusive offers during the holiday season will encourage them to make more trips to physical stores, an increase of seven percentage points over last year. 

Physical stores continue to play a major role in holiday shopping. Ninety-two percent of shoppers will spend in a physical store. Brick-and-mortar remains a key driver of omnichannel shopping, as nearly all in-store shoppers also plan to buy online from the same retailer’s website, with almost half saying that browsing in stores will influence their purchases. 

Visiting malls and shopping centers to shop, dine, and take advantage of other experiences and services is also a mainstay of the holiday season for 200 million consumers, led by Gen Z and millennials.