How will COVID-19 impact holiday planning this year? A recent Digsite research study got a pulse on the changing expectations of consumers regarding Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We started by surveying 150 participants from a mix of ages, ethnicities and U.S. regions, then pulled out 25 participants for a deeper qualitative dive. In this blog post, I’ll share what we learned and what may give you ideas regarding how to move forward and scope out additional iterative research as the holidays approach.
Because of Digsite’s agile research capabilities, this research study took less than a week from start to finish, allowing us to provide you with up-to-the-minute insights.
The big takeaway:
Trick-or-treating, visiting pumpkin patches, attending Halloween parties – these traditional fall experiences will all be impacted this year. Participants voiced concerns about their kids going door to door to trick or treat as well as being in big groups. If Halloween parties are canceled and if trick-or-treating doesn’t feel safe, what does that mean for kids?
We asked participants what holidays they normally travel for and what holidays they anticipate traveling for this year. Not surprisingly, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be most affected.
Two-thirds of the participants who usually travel for these holidays won’t travel for them this year, and half say they won’t travel for any events for the remainder of the year.
How else will these holidays look different for families? Participants indicate feeling disappointment that family traditions like making cookies, wrapping presents, holiday shopping, and gathering for holiday meals together will likely not happen this year. They want to keep elderly relatives safe and don’t anticipate hosting big meals. Several commented that Thanksgiving and Christmas at home with immediate family is most likely.
Holiday gift-giving will look different, and less personal, this year. Consumer shifts seem to be focused on three areas:
The likelihood of giving gift cards came up frequently in our research, so we dove deeper to specifically probe about gift cards to restaurants. Our research indicates that consumers are more likely to choose gift cards to restaurants that offer takeout or curbside pickup and have a history of delivering a safe in-person experience. Participants say they’ll avoid gift cards to restaurants that require dining in or are buffet-style.
The challenges around giving gifts during COVID-19 present opportunities for retailers. Anticipating consumer concerns will benefit both retailers and consumers alike.
Hopefully these insights will help as you navigate the holidays for your business. Ensuring your messaging is correct will be a key to success.
If you're looking to conduct your own market research during COVID-19 but aren't sure where to start, check out our latest eBook, How to Conduct Market Research During the COVID-19 Era. The eBook explains how research participants are responding differently during the COVID-19 crisis, the top four ways to conduct online qualitative research during COVID-19, and includes case studies with real-world companies that have successfully conducted research during COVID-19.