Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

Report: Consumer spending to rise 5% this holiday season

A “next normal” may be emerging, as holiday spending intentions increase, spending on experiences grows, and anxiety over in-store shopping continues to ease, survey shows.

woman-g0b194300f_640.jpg
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
By Supply Chain Quarterly StaffOct 22, 2021
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
See Full Bio

The Covid-19 pandemic will have an impact on holiday shopping again this year, but spending levels are expected to increase and anxieties to ease compared to 2020, according to the 2021 Deloitte Holiday Retail Survey, released this week.

The consulting firm polled more than 4,000 U.S. consumers and conducted a separate executive survey among retailers for the report, which showed that people are ready to spend again this year although they remain concerned about stockouts and delayed shipments. Among the key findings: holiday spending will average $1,463 per household, up 5% from last year, with higher income shoppers driving nearly all gains; and although digital shopping channels are here to stay, the study found that pre-pandemic behaviors are returning, including experiences—socializing, travel, and entertaining—which increased 15% from 2020.

Other findings include:

  • Seventy-five percent of consumers said they are concerned about stockouts, and another 68% said they expect to see higher prices for the gifts they put under the tree.
  • Forty-eight percent of consumers said they are at least somewhat concerned about shipping delays during the holiday season–for which they say they will most likely hold delivery companies accountable (33%), over other factors such as weather conditions (27%) and the retailers themselves (21%).
  • Concerns about supply chain issues and stockouts have 4 in 10 shoppers starting earlier this year, and coincide with an increased emphasis on experiences this season.

“Retailers will see strong growth this holiday season, even as supply chain issues, inflation, and highly bifurcated spending continue to impact our industry,” Ron Sides, vice chairman for Deloitte LLP, and U.S. retail, wholesale, and distribution leader, said in a statement. “Consumers have adapted to life during the pandemic and even though they are venturing out again, digital engagement shows no sign of slowing. Retailers who remain resilient by offering promotions early, appealing to in-store and online shoppers, and planning their inventories well in advance, are likely to experience not just a robust holiday season, but will be well positioned for continued sales into the new year.”
ArticleMovePlanFinance & Strategy
deloitte
ArticleMovePlanFinance & Strategy
deloitte

Recent

german courthouse
Move

Deutsche Bahn claims victory in “air freight cartel” settlement

boxes on a conveyor
Store

Amazon adds Adidas as its latest e-commerce 3PL customer

Report: 65% of consumers made holiday returns this year
Featured

Report: 65% of consumers made holiday returns this year

Industry Press Room

Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Group Announces UniCarriers® Forklifts’ Premier Club Winners for 2024

More Stories

Just 29% of supply chain organizations are prepared to meet future readiness demands

Just 29% of supply chain organizations are prepared to meet future readiness demands

Just 29% of supply chain organizations have the competitive characteristics they’ll need for future readiness, according to a Gartner survey released Tuesday. The survey focused on how organizations are preparing for future challenges and to keep their supply chains competitive.

Gartner surveyed 579 supply chain practitioners to determine the capabilities needed to manage the “future drivers of influence” on supply chains, which include artificial intelligence (AI) achievement and the ability to navigate new trade policies. According to the survey, the five competitive characteristics are: agility, resilience, regionalization, integrated ecosystems, and integrated enterprise strategy.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Companies double down on resilience as trade complexities rise
Featured

Companies double down on resilience as trade complexities rise

A generative AI image of a future warehouse with two figures looking at digital overlays of traditional warehousing racks. An autonomous mobile robot is nearby.
Store

Strategic planning and smart investments: Unlocking the potential of automation

US customs agent inspecting agricultural goods
Finance & Strategy

Industry groups: Reciprocal tariffs show “incomplete thinking”

photo collage of containers and ports
Plan

DHL Supply Chain expands offerings in returns, multi-shoring

chart of GenAI impact on workforces
Technology

Gartner: GenAI tools create anxiety among employees

woman making purchase with smartphone
Plan

C.H. Robinson says shippers are stressed about tariffs and trade changes

screen shot of returns apps on different devices

Optoro: 69% of shoppers admit to “wardrobing” fraud

With returns now a routine part of the shopping journey, technology provider Optoro says a recent survey has identified four trends influencing shopper preferences and retailer priorities.

First, 54% of retailers are looking for ways to increase their financial recovery from returns. That’s because the cost to return a purchase averages 27% of the purchase price, which erases as much as 50% of the sales margin. But consumers have their own interests in mind: 76% of shoppers admit they’ve embellished or exaggerated the return reason to avoid a fee, a 39% increase from 2023 to 204.

Keep ReadingShow less
robots carry goods through a warehouse

Fortna: rethink your distribution strategy for 2025

Facing an evolving supply chain landscape in 2025, companies are being forced to rethink their distribution strategies to cope with challenges like rising cost pressures, persistent labor shortages, and the complexities of managing SKU proliferation.

But according to the systems integrator Fortna, businesses can remain competitive if they focus on five core areas:

Keep ReadingShow less
shopper uses smartphone in retail store

EY lists five ways to fortify omnichannel retail

In the fallout from the pandemic, the term “omnichannel” seems both out of date and yet more vital than ever, according to a study from consulting firm EY.

That clash has come as retailers have been hustling to adjust to pandemic swings like a renewed focus on e-commerce, then swiftly reimagining store experiences as foot traffic returned. But even as the dust settles from those changes, retailers are now facing renewed questions about how best to define their omnichannel strategy in a world where customers have increasing power and information.

Keep ReadingShow less
artistic image of a building roof

BCG: tariffs would accelerate change in global trade flows

Geopolitical rivalries, alliances, and aspirations are rewiring the global economy—and the imposition of new tariffs on foreign imports by the U.S. will accelerate that process, according to an analysis by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Without a broad increase in tariffs, world trade in goods will keep growing at an average of 2.9% annually for the next eight years, the firm forecasts in its report, “Great Powers, Geopolitics, and the Future of Trade.” But the routes goods travel will change markedly as North America reduces its dependence on China and China builds up its links with the Global South, which is cementing its power in the global trade map.

Keep ReadingShow less
Copyright ©2025.