‘Last-Minute’ Holiday Shopping Survey Reveals Curious Consumer Trends

Procrastinators in pursuit of last-minute holiday gifts aren’t alone — in fact, they’re the majority this year, according to Klarna’s “Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Survey,” which revealed a rivulet of unconventional consumer trends that define a year of radical change in retail.
Klarna, a payment provider and shopping service, surveyed over 40,000 U.S. consumers and found that 79 percent of shoppers left their holiday shopping to the last minute and planned to finish buying gifts within two weeks of Christmas, according to the firm.
And, surprisingly, 64 percent of last-minute shoppers say they’ll do the last of their Christmas shopping in-store, while 55 percent said they will likely purchase gifts online, even if those items won’t be delivered by Christmas Day.
In the spirit of retail in 2020, 27 percent of last-minute shoppers will only head to brick-and-mortar stores if curbside pickup options are available. But “11th-hour shoppers,” or 35 percent of those surveyed, are a riskier bunch; these professional procrastinators saved their holiday shopping for the week of Christmas.
The most popular last-minute gift category is apparel, with clothing and accessories at 78 percent, followed by electronics at 45 percent; gift cards at 44 percent; and home goods at 33 percent. Younger generations seek

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