2015 promises to be the one of the happiest holiday seasons for retailers yet. This year, eMarketer forecasts retail sales will reach $885.70 billion in November and December -- a 5.7% increase from last year. To capitalize on these potential profits, retailers must ensure they have an omnichannel go-to-market approach this holiday season to reach in-store, online and mobile shoppers. SessionM fielded an 11 question mobile survey to over 11,000 members to uncover holiday shopping trends retailers can leverage to develop strategies to capitalize on the biggest shopping season of the year. View the consumer study to learn: -How consumers are holiday shopping this year -How smartphones impact and influence their decision-making -How they plan to use smartphones to enhance their holiday shopping experience

1. Holiday Shopping
Trends 2015
Smartphones, Shopping & Mobile Payments
A Consumer Study

2. eMarketer forecasts that
retail sales in November
and December will increase
5.7%, reaching $885.70
billion this year. That’s an
increase from the 3.2%
growth rate predicted earlier
this year.1
So how can retailers
adjust their approach
to increase foot
traffic and create
engaging, rich
customer
experiences across
multiple channels in
a competitive
market?
1eMarketer, August 2015

3. BY GENDER
61% 39%
Female Male
13-17
1%
18-24
6%
25-34
22%
35-44
27%
45-54
25%
55-54
15%
65+
4%
BY AGE
26%
18%
35%
21%
BY GEO
SessionM’s Network of Shoppers
SessionM fielded an 11 question mobile survey to over 11,000 members to gain a
deeper understanding of how consumers are holiday shopping this year, how
smartphones impact and influence their decision-making and how they plan to
use smartphones to enhance their holiday shopping experience.
Source: SessionM Survey Data, August 20 - 27, 2015 n= 11,789

4. 27%
of respondents said
they start their holiday
shopping before
September.
October
16%
13%
November, before Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving night
Black Friday
Cyber Monday
People are holiday shopping
before summer is over.
Holiday shopping starts
Source: SessionM Survey Data, August 20 - 27, 2015 n= 11,789
December
I don’t holiday shop
3%
9%
3%
17%
12%

5. Holiday shopping is
an omnichannel activity.
of respondents
plan to shop at
brick-and-
mortar locations
of respondents
plan to shop
online via desktop
or laptop
58%78%
Source: SessionM Survey Data, August 20 - 27, 2015 n= 11,789
of respondents
plan to shop via
their tablet or
smartphone
43%

6. Consumers are
up for grabs.
Source: SessionM Survey Data, August 20 - 27, 2015 n= 11,789
26%
of customers
stick to their
regular retailer
at the holidays.
Sales and promotions71%
Quality of products
Familiarity with retailer
Loyalty & rewards programs
only
Where consumers decide to shop
isinfluenced by factors like
51%
40%
39%

7. 82%
of respondents said they
would make some holiday
purchases via mobile this
year.
Make purchases on-the-go or at home (19%)
Avoid long lines (42%)
Find items more easily than in-store (31%)
Earn loyalty or rewards points (16%)
Mobile makes it easier to
To holiday shoppers,
mobile matters.
39% of people plan to use mobile payments
like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Pay or a specific retailer’s app

8. • Smartphones are a personal assistant for shoppers – giving
brands limitless access to influence their behavior and
decision-making
• Beacons, apps from retailers, mobile payments and loyalty
programs all give brands access to first-party data and
location-based information to create a unique, highly
personalized experience.
• Smartphones are a critical part of the in-store shopping
experience and shoppers are starting to see mobile as a viable
shopping channel.
Takeaways