Bazaarvoice has released their latest shopping data, this report focusing on the upcoming holiday shopping season. Among the more interesting findings are these: 75% of shoppers name long checkout lines as their top pain point for shopping, 61% list overcrowded stores and for online shoppers 43% note slow shipping times as their biggest shopping hurdle.
 
But retailers have plenty of time to address these issues? Maybe not. According to the research nearly half (43%) of shoppers in the US, UK, France, and Germany say they'll begin shopping before Black Friday, and 20% say they've already begun picking up items for the holiday season. Black Friday, however, is the date at least one-third (37%) of shoppers say they'll have "most" holiday shopping wrapped up. As to how people will shop this year, about 66% say they'll do "most holiday shopping" online, only about 37% say the bulk of their holiday buys will be made online
 
While Black Friday is still a major shopping event, the holiday shopping season continues to extend earlier into the summer and fall. Brands and retailers should prepare for the season long before October, or they won't be able to capitalize fully on this critical season, said Joe Rohrlich, Chief Revenue Officer at Bazaarvoice. It must be easy and quick for consumers to find, compare, and purchase gifts by leveraging authentic reviews and UGC; brands and retailers that maximize convenience in all aspects of the shopping journey will ensure the holiday season goes smoothly both for themselves and their customers."
 
Other interesting findings from the Bazaarvoice report include:
 
·         49% of shoppers have returned holiday gifts for a different size/color
·         43% of shoppers say slow order fulfillment is a pain point for holiday shopping
·         60% of shoppers are looking for buy online/pickup in store options
·         57% want more 'cost efficient' shipping      
 
More Bazaarvoice data can be accessed here.

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