Mobile shopping carves out its place under the Christmas tree
Nearly half (45%) of all shoppers will make a purchase via their smartphones this Christmas season, while 76% of consumers are planning to shop online, research from ad agency Rubicon Project has found. Millennials are most likely to use their mobiles to shop, with 75% making a mobile purchase, compared to 66% of parents. The research also highlights 81% of millennials and 82% of parents are likely to engage with tailored advertisements, making these segments good targets for advertisers' personalised incentives.
Just as retailers are recovering from the mass of consumers searching for the best Black Friday deals, which saw online sales rise by up to 50% on last year, they are now having to brace themselves for the next big shopping event of the year – Christmas.

There is plenty that can be learnt from the outcome of this year’s Black Friday sales, particularly when looking at certain retailers, such as Argos, which saw its online traffic rise by 50% year-on-year, and a staggering 80% of visitors came from smartphones and tablets.

Those brands looking to perfect their advertising campaigns ahead of Christmas can learn from the influx in online sales seen by the likes of Argos, which marks part of a wider trend in digital shopping habits empowered by smartphones – an area that Rubicon Project recently discovered in its second annual Christmas Consumer Pulse survey. This research looked into UK consumer shopping habits in the lead up to Christmas and found that nearly half (45%) of all shoppers are expected to make a purchase via their smartphones this Christmas.

There are two demographics that are largely driving this trend – millennials and parents. The research found that 75% of millennials and 66% of parents will be purchasing items on their mobiles this Christmas season, with 76% of consumers overall planning to shop online – on par with the percentage who plan to shop in-store.

Millennial consumers are also expected to spend more overall than any other group, with anticipated spend reaching an average of £870 per person this year, compared to £717 from non-millennials. With millennials and parents emerging as such a key demographic, it is crucial marketers understand how best to reach these consumers. Encouragingly, Rubicon Project’s research found that they are more open to digital advertising campaigns than any other group, but only if they are tailored to their interest and offer genuine incentives.

In what can be interpreted as a familiarity with and understanding of digital environments, 81% of millennials and 82% of parents are more likely to engage with tailored ads and nearly half (46% and 47% respectively) are likely to share their personal information for a more personalised advertising experience.

The opportunity to save money at such a costly time of year also appealed. Thirty-nine percent of parents and 38% of millennials are both motivated to click on ads offering sales and discounts around Christmas.

With the Black Friday furore over and the official Christmas shopping season already well underway, these insights are invaluable to brands, and particularly for those looking to target the tech savvy generation - millennials. They have demonstrated how receptive and open they are to the right kind of messages during the Christmas period.

A lot can be learnt from brands such as Argos, which not only came out on top at Black Friday but are also set to be the top shopping destination for UK consumers at Christmas, with more than half of respondents to our poll planning to buy gifts from them this year. Argos are demonstrating that with the right digital strategy, retailers can reap the rewards.

Having this insight into consumer attitudes towards online shopping at one the busiest times of the year, will empower brands to implement campaigns that ensure they find their place under the tree this Christmas.

James Brown is managing director of UK and Nordics at Rubicon Project.