Thanksgiving weekend is now home to another iconic shopping holiday—and it’s one that brand marketers and communicators should now be focusing on in their holiday-campaign planning. Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of Cyber Monday shoppers in a new survey from intelligent media delivery firm Valassis say they will prepare the day before by spending time deal-searching on “Sofa Sunday,” and (hence the name) many will do so from the comfort of their homes.
What’s more, two-thirds of shoppers said they will spend the same or more time researching savings on Sofa Sunday than actually shopping on Cyber Monday.
While holiday retail buzz has primarily revolved around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Sofa Sunday plays an essential role shaping U.S. consumer purchase plans for the largest online shopping day of the year. With the vast majority of Cyber Monday shoppers researching and comparing products across multiple retail websites on Sofa Sunday, this is a crucial time for brands to get in front of consumers, ensuring they’re in the consideration set during purchase planning.
“With so much attention focused on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many retailers may overlook Sofa Sunday—an influential shopping day,” said Curtis Tingle, chief marketing officer at Valassis, in a news release. “Brands and retailers that develop their holiday media strategies with the full consumer decision journey in mind are more likely to reach shoppers with relevant, timely messages and will ultimately secure a bigger piece of the retail pie during this critical shopping season.”
Key survey findings include:
Shoppers research extensively and plan their Cyber Monday shopping on Sofa Sunday
- 45 percent of shoppers will spend two or more hours researching deals on Sunday;
- Consumers who deal hunt are most likely to do so from the comfort of their homes via their desktop/laptop computers (52 percent) and mobile phones (36 percent); and
- 58 percent will complete their Cyber Monday preparation/research by 9 p.m., providing a narrow window for retailers to make an impression before the lucrative online shopping day commences.
Consumers are looking to save big on Cyber Monday this year
- 67 percent are expecting to save more than $100;
- 15 percent are hoping for discounts between $300 – $500; and
- 12 percent want more than $500 off their purchases.
With consumers’ expectations running high this year, retailers should be pricing products accordingly, while offering competitive discounts to capture and retain their target audiences.
Electronics, clothing/accessories and toys appear to be at the top of shoppers’ Cyber Monday wish lists
- On Sofa Sunday,shoppers plan to spend the most time hunting for consumer electronics (52 percent), followed by clothing/accessories (45 percent) and toys (27 percent); and
- Home décor was next (23 percent), followed by health & beauty products (16 percent) and pet supplies (12 percent).
Mobile optimization is key for retailers this holiday season
- Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of shoppers are planning to use their mobile devices to search for deals on Sofa Sunday while at home, at work or on-the-go.
Retailers are taking note of this trend—according to RetailMeNot, 92 percent are planning to increase their investment in mobile during the remainder of 2017 to better fit the mobile-minded consumer.
Amazon is in for a busy Cyber Monday
- A whopping 60 percent of respondents are planning to visit Amazon’s website firstto begin their Cyber Monday shopping research.
Using Google Consumer Surveys, Valassis surveyed over 500 consumers who plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year to identify their Sofa Sunday researching and deal-hunting habits. All respondents were located in the United States. The survey was conducted in September 2017.
