Modern Retail x Attest Research: Despite early promotions, most people are holiday shopping in November and December

Many retailers and brands started moving up holiday promotions — some as early as September — in an attempt to offload excess inventory and bolster fourth-quarter sales results. But new research shows that most shoppers didn’t take the bait.

Last month, Modern Retail and consumer research platform Attest surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers about their plans for holiday shopping. Over one-half of respondents said they planned on doing the brunt of their holiday shopping in November. Coming in second was December, which garnered 22%.

This comes as some of the biggest holiday players started promoting holiday shopping earlier than ever. As Modern Retail previously reported, Target, Amazon and Walmart all began their promotions in September. Target’s holiday promotions began four days earlier than last year, and Amazon held its first-ever second Prime Day in October.

Meanwhile, other major brands took part in other promotions like Alibaba’s Singles’ Day, likely in an attempt to seek out other early holiday shoppers before Black Friday.

Another big question plaguing brands is what shoppers plan on buying for the holidays and how much. According to the Modern Retail and Attest survey, apparel is at the top of most people’s lists. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents said they planned on buying clothing as the majority of their holiday gifts. Coming in second was technology products with 50% and home goods products with 45%.

For now, brands are waiting until Black Friday to really get a sense for what this year’s holiday sales volume will be. But it seems that despite their best efforts, some shopping patterns — namely, buying gifts in November and December — are staying put.