Editor’s note: Phil Ahad is vice president at market research firm Toluna QuickSurveys, Washington, D.C.
We generally associate the summer season with activities like barbecuing, sunbathing and vacationing, but it is also a peak shopping season for consumers. In fact, consumers say they tend to spend the most money shopping during the summer months (28 percent) over the winter/holiday months (26 percent).
Nearly 1,000 consumers were polled about their shopping habits to uncover where, how and what they plan buy this summer.
And apparently summer activities come can come with a hefty shopping price tag. It tends to be less about the cost of products associated with summer activities and more about consumers’ lax attitudes about sticking to a budget during the summer when it comes to summer spending. Considering summer is often considered a more relaxed time of year, it’s not shocking that people will let their guards down when it comes to the swipe of their credit cards as well. While 53 percent of respondents have a set budget for summer shopping, 89 percent admit they would spend more than the intended budget.
What’s in the summer shopping cart
Summer is activity filled, and it is also the primary season for home improvements and the time of year when people tend to both the inside and outside of their homes. The result: during the summer months, consumers fill up their in-store and online shopping carts with all the goodies needed for summer activities and home care alike. The specific summer-related products purchased between Memorial Day and Labor Day are:
- summer clothing like bathing suits and beachwear (66 percent);
- beauty products like sunscreen and aloe (59 percent);
- gardening and landscaping products (50 percent);
- outdoor party products like plates and platters (42 percent); and
- pool products like floats and chemicals (25 percent).
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In the summer months, shoppers tend to get up with sun! Thirty-seven percent of respondents prefer to shop in the morning hours during the summer, over only 11 percent who shop later in the day. Warm weather also gets people out of the house. Only 7 percent of people will exclusively shop online, while 34 percent will exclusively go in-store. As for where they’re headed, 45 percent of consumers tend to shop at the same retailers over and over because they are familiar with their products and prices. Less time searching through unfamiliar aisles and for great deals means more time outside enjoying all the activities – and chores – summer has to offer.
Methodology: This study received 885 completes from respondents and was run with SmartSelect, which relies on statistical matching rather than probability sampling, and weights on age, gender, region, ethnicity, race and education.