Millennials are buying more + earlier this holiday season —how to prepare

Birmingham Millenials—are you shopping early and buying more for the holidays? Anxiety over empty shelves and stockings with the out-of-stock trends we’ve seen even before the start of the season is causing this overbuying. So if you’re a last-minute shopper or worried about online orders coming in too late, we’ve got an easy solution plus details on upcoming shopping trends in Birmingham and countrywide.

Why this is happening?

We are still seeing the effects of COVID 19 worldwide as companies lack the employees and facilities to take in all of the products being shipped out. As of last week, over 100 cargo ships were anchored outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. These are two points for entry that account for more than 40 percent of US imports.

“These issues go through the entire chain, from ship to shelf. That’s why we’re not just working with the ports. It’s the truckers, the rail companies, the operators and also those retail companies that are at the other end of those supply chains.”

Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation

The Biden Administration has said the backlog will most likely last into 2022, but in the meantime, citizens can expect higher prices and delayed delivery times.

Shopping Trends Locally

We polled the BhamNow audience on our Instagram to get some insight into local shopping trends for the holidays. Here’s what we found out from the 241 respondents:

• Already Shopping: 52%
• Will Start After Thanksgiving: 23%
• Last Minute Shopper: 25%

Shopping Trends We Are Seeing Nationwide

According to Klarna’s 2021 Holidays Unwrapped report, in which over 24,000 US shoppers were polled:

• Shop Earlier: 40%
• Already Started: 22%
• Continue to buy online: 80%
• Will spend more this year than last: 34%

This information from the leading global retail bank coupled with knowledge of mass shipping delays reveals that buying earlier is a must, especially for online orders. Millennials were found to be 53% more likely than any other age group to buy more this season.

Many businesses, including Target, Walmart and Amazon, have already released their holiday sales and Black Friday gift guides, so early-shopping consumers can take advantage. However, with this mass draw towards shopping in advance, some items may never be restocked before the holidays once sold out.

So, if you don’t already have your online orders ready to go, we’ve got an even better backup plan.

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Get your gifts in time for the holidays—shop local

The best way to make sure you get the perfect present in time for the holidays is to shop local! Birmingham is full of amazing businesses ready to supply you with unforgettable gifts for your loved ones. Whether you’re looking for clothes, food, accessories, art or more, you can find it all through our Birmingham local business guide.

Where’s your fave spot to shop local for the holidays? Let us know by tagging us @bhamnow.