Thirty-five percent of US consumers plan to patronize local small businesses in 2013 for their holiday shopping, up from 27% in 2012, reports Deluxe survey

Cindy Allen

ST. PAUL, Minnesota , October 22, 2013 (press release) – Deluxe Annual Holiday Shopping Survey™ shows strong upside for small businesses

With the holiday season close at hand, the results of a new survey show that 35 percent of consumers plan to shop at local, small businesses this year, compared to 27 percent in 2012.

“Since shoppers increasingly use technology to plan and fulfill their holiday shopping needs, small businesses must leverage that same technology to remain top-of-mind and drive sales.”

Ninety-five percent of the survey respondents said it is important to support small businesses. When asked why they planned to shop at local merchants, the top responses were: “important to support local businesses” (57 percent), “unique merchandise” (49 percent), “personalized service” (39 percent) and “good prices” (25 percent). The Deluxe Annual Holiday Shopping Survey™ asked more than 1,000 consumers nationwide about their holiday shopping plans, priorities and opinions. The survey was commissioned by the Deluxe Corporation (NYSE:DLX), a leading provider of marketing services and business products for small businesses.

“Small businesses should be very encouraged by the results of Deluxe Annual Holiday Shopping Survey,” said Tim Carroll, vice president of small business engagement at Deluxe. “Since shoppers increasingly use technology to plan and fulfill their holiday shopping needs, small businesses must leverage that same technology to remain top-of-mind and drive sales.”

Additional survey findings include:

Getting noticed online is critical. Seventy-eight percent of consumers surveyed will shop for holiday gifts online in 2013, and approximately one in four (28 percent) prefer a small business or boutique website. Search engines remain an important way for consumers to find gift ideas online, particularly among 18 to 34 year-olds (54 percent) and Hispanics (57 percent).

However, regardless of age or ethnic group, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains critical for small businesses. Half (51 percent) of all survey respondents said they do not go past the first two pages of search results when looking for gift ideas online.

Consumers appreciate being appreciated. When it comes to holiday “customer appreciation gifts” from small businesses, consumers most prefer (47 percent) a discount on a future product or service. Eighteen percent appreciate a holiday card and 13 percent said “a unique gift item” is their preference, if they had a choice.
Holiday shoppers plan to get started early. While the reputation of “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” as cultural phenomena remain secure, the survey found that only 15 percent of consumers actually plan to do the majority of their holiday shopping on these days. Instead, 42 percent plan to buy their holiday gifts earlier in November. However, the group that will do the majority of their holiday shopping during the Thanksgiving weekend is 18-34 year-olds (22 percent), with 35 – 44 year-olds (19 percent) significantly more likely to shop last minute.

Printed holiday cards are still appreciated. Eighty-six percent stated they would rather receive a traditional holiday card through the mail (as opposed to online), compared to 80 percent in 2012. However, consumers with incomes over $100,000 are nearly twice as happy to receive an online card, compared to the general population (12 percent vs. 7 percent).

About the Deluxe Annual Holiday Shopping Survey

Launched in 2012, the Deluxe Annual Holiday Shopping Survey is part of the Deluxe Corporation’s commitment to supporting America’s small businesses. The national telephone survey was conducted among 1,002 adults (502 men and 500 women) 18 years of age and older, living in the continental United States. Interviewing for this CARAVAN® Survey was completed on September 19-22, 2013.

About Deluxe Corporation

Deluxe is a growth engine for small businesses and financial institutions. Four million small business customers access Deluxe's wide range of products and services including customized checks and forms, as well as web-site development and hosting, email marketing, search engine optimization and logo design. For financial institutions, Deluxe offers industry-leading programs in checks, customer acquisition, fraud prevention and profitability. Deluxe is also a leading printer of checks and accessories sold directly to consumers. For more information, visit us at www.deluxe.com, www.facebook.com/deluxecorp or www.twitter.com/deluxecorp.

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