Holiday shopping will look dramatically different this year with nearly half of Americans saying they plan to shop online in the coming months. Additionally, only ten percent of Americans plan to travel for Thanksgiving and other winter holidays. As holiday celebrations change, so will gift giving, requiring people to rethink physical gifts and find new ways to virtually send their loved ones a gift to remember. That’s not all we’re expecting this season – below are some of our top predictions for what virtual gifting will look like in 2020.
Prediction #1: The early bird shopper gets the deal.
This year, Amazon’s biggest sales event, Prime Day, was postponed to early October, officially kicking off winter holiday shopping earlier than ever before. With expected shipping delays and inventory shortages in the months leading up to December, we predict early-bird shoppers will increase.
Prediction #2: Sales, Sales, Sales.
With online retailers vastly outnumbering brick-and-mortar stores, the competition will be steep to win over shoppers. As a result, we foresee increased sales, both in-store and online. This is good news for shoppers, who can get great deals from the comfort of their own home while sticking to their budget.
Prediction #3: Skipping shopping.
With the predicted influx of online orders, delivery providers are expected to reach five percent over capacity globally, resulting in major delays of almost 700 million packages. Additionally, COVID-19 surcharges are expected to reach $4.5 billion. Whether it’s shipping costs or delivery delays, many people may skip the shopping altogether and send loved ones cash gifts. Luckily, GiftCast makes it easy to send personalized, sentimental cash gifts.
Ultimately, only time will tell what virtual gifting will look like in 2020, though it’s sure to bring surprises. No matter how you plan on celebrating this holiday season, connect with your loved ones through GiftCast by sending a personalized video message alongside a cash gift.
How are you gifting this holiday season? Let us know on Instagram @GiftCast! #GiftCast #HolidayGifting #Holidays2020 #VirtualGifting
