According to Deloitte’s 33rd annual “Holiday Survey” of consumer spending intentions and trends, for the second consecutive year, 88 percent of survey respondents prefer free shipping over receiving their holiday packages faster (12 percent).
The majority (61 percent) of holiday shoppers report they will buy items that qualify for free shipping this season. For free shipping, two-thirds (66 percent) are willing to wait 3-7 days for their merchandise. More than 3 in 5 people surveyed (62 percent) define “fast shipping” as two days or less, up from 54 percent in 2017. One-quarter (25 percent) define three to four day delivery as fast shipping, down from 35 percent in 2017. Among the reasons for shopping in stores, 47 percent of respondents said it was to “avoid shipping costs.” Their No 1. reason to shop online is “convenience” (77 percent) followed by “free shipping” (72 percent).
