Holiday Shopping Season 2021

The 2021 holiday shopping season has already begun, bringing with it significant changes to how retailers operate and how consumers approach their holiday shopping.

The ongoing pandemic continues to impact this year’s shopping trends, as retailers have extended Black Friday sales and closed stores on Thanksgiving.

According to a new Adobe report, October 2021 saw over 2 billion out-of-stock messages online, marking a staggering 325% increase.  Compared to October 2019, which was before the pandemic.

Of the 18 tracked categories, electronics have the highest out-of-stock levels, followed by jewelry, apparel, home & garden.

Consumers are beginning to realize the real impact of supply chain challenges.

Taylor Schreiner, Director of Adobe Digital Insights, states, “Some have adjusted their holiday shopping strategies, with parents shopping for toys earlier and others opting for gift cards”

Although earlier deals have been offered this year, discounts have generally weakened.

For instance, electronics discounts are currently at 8.7%, and sporting goods discounts have dropped to 2.8%. Meanwhile, tools and home improvement.

On the other hand, toys are currently seeing larger discounts than in 2020, at 15.9%

The data provided is from the Adobe Digital Economy Index. Covers over one trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million SKUs, and 18 product categories.