A third of US adults don’t like holiday shopping in stores. Here’s how retailers can capitalize on that.

Close to a third of US adults don’t like anything about in-store holiday shopping, according to CivicScience. Meanwhile, for more than a fifth, experiencing the products is the biggest appeal. About the same share most enjoy the holiday music, decor, and displays, while 17% are after in-store deals.

Beyond the chart: The majority of US adults don’t expect to shop at a mall this holiday season, the study found, but many want to experience the products nonetheless. That creates an opening for augmented reality (AR) in holiday shopping.

Only about 10% of people in the US will shop with AR regularly by year-end, per our forecast. But 45% of US adults we surveyed said they’re interested in giving this retail tech a try. There’s a huge opportunity for brands and retailers to meet holiday shoppers in their own homes and present products in context through effective use of AR.

More like this:

• Report: US Holiday Shopping 2022
• Article: A record number of consumers shopped the Cyber Five this year, motivated by deals and gift-giving
• Article: Old stalwarts email and TV powered many brands’ Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns

Methodology: Data is from an October 2022 report from CivicScience as cited in company blog. During October 12-19, 2022, CivicScience surveyed 2,556 US adults ages 18+. Responses were rebased to exclude "does not apply." Data is weighted according to the US Census.