Americans still have an appetite for holiday shopping in brick and mortar stores rather than online. A study commissioned by 1010data and fielded by uSamp found that respondents were unwilling to wait for shipping (52 per cent) as the leading reason for preferring brick and mortar, followed by a desire to get inspiration for gifts (47 per cent) and to physically get the gift and avoid problems with shipping (41 per cent). They also visit shopping centres to view gifts in person and buy online later (43 per cent), and check prices at the store and compare them to online prices (41 per cent).

Additional reasons included enjoying the holiday atmosphere (38 per cent) and preferring to shop with other people/friends (32 per cent). A handful of shoppers reported not trusting online shopping stores with their credit card details (six per cent). Ninety seven per cent of Americans claim that they will buy holiday gifts early this year, with half expecting to start before Thanksgiving and one in five starting on Black Friday to ensure product availability.

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