Among the half (49%) of the U.S. population that plans to shop during Black Friday Week (Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday), 82% of those shoppers plan to buy tech devices and accessories, ranging from wireless earbuds to streaming service subscriptions, according to new data released today by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®.
The 2019 Pre-Black Friday Week Survey also finds that among the U.S. adults who plan to buy tech, the top planned purchases are wireless earbuds/headphones (57%), mobile device cases (46%), video game discs (42%), portable battery chargers (42%), streaming and download services such as Netflix or Spotify (41%), and smartphones (41%).
“Despite a shorter shopping season, there will be a healthy appetite for tech. Wireless earbuds and streaming content will make a very strong showing over the course of Black Friday Week,” said Lesley Rohrbaugh, director of market research, CTA. “Content subscriptions and services are quickly becoming a go-to gift, especially as a wide range of streaming video, audio and gaming options come on the market this holiday season.”
Techies and non-techies line at the doors of Apple Store
More U.S. Adults Will Shop Online and via Mobile This Year
Tech shoppers will use a combination of shopping channels over Black Friday Week and while most will do some shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, more consumers will shop for tech online, mobile and via voice compared to last year.
Almost all U.S. adult shoppers plan to shop in-person at brick-and-mortar stores (97%), with most planning to shop at a mass merchant such as Walmart or Target.
More U.S. adult shoppers plan to shop online (83%) using a desktop or laptop computer, up two percentage points over last year.
The number of consumers planning to shop using a mobile device (81%), such as a smartphone or tablet, is up five percentage points over 2018.
The biggest jump will occur with the number of Black Friday Week shoppers who say they plan to shop for tech via voice (48%) – up nine percentage points – using digital assistants such as Siri or Amazon Alexa, to find and research holiday deals.
“We are going to see retailers start sales earlier in November and more online shoppers this season to make up for less time between Black Friday Week and the month of December,” said Rohrbaugh.
“The number of consumers who will take advantage of the convenience of voice and mobile shopping methods, either in combination with in-store promotions or by themselves, are on the rise. More consumers own devices with voice capabilities and a number of brands are experimenting with this shopping channel to drive sales.”
Holiday Season Category Sales Projections
Over the course of the entire holiday shopping season, which spans October through December, CTA projects:
Overall tech spending will reach $97.1 billion in revenue in the U.S. – on par with last year’s actual spending.
Wireless earbuds are anticipated to sell eight million units – a 45% increase over 2018.
Smartwatches are projected to sell nine million units this holiday season (up 2%).
Smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home will ship 11.3 million units, strong numbers for a relatively new category but a 42% decline over last year as more devices like TVs integrate voice capabilities.
To keep up to date with all of CTA’s holiday research, visit CTA.tech/holiday.
CTA’s 2019 Pre-Black Friday Week Survey was designed and formulated by CTA Market Research, the most comprehensive source of sales data, forecasts, consumer research and historical trends for the consumer technology industry. CTA fielded the survey Oct. 24-27, 2019 using an online representative sample of 2,008 U.S. adults (18+). The report comes at no cost for CTA members.
Consumer Technology Association:
As North America’s largest technology trade association, CTA® is the tech sector. Our members are the world’s leading innovators – from startups to global brands – helping support more than 18 million American jobs. CTA owns and produces CES® – the largest, most influential tech event on the planet. Find us at CTA.tech. Follow us @CTAtech.