Are customers choosing online over in-store shopping this holiday season?

ON OUR WEBSITE. THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON IS IN FULL SWING ON THIS CYBER MONDAY, BUT AS ADDIE MEYERS TELLS US, MORE AND MORE ARE CHOOSING TO GO BACK TO THE STORES. SHE SPOKE WITH ONE LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER ABOUT HOW SALES LOOKED SO FAR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. WHAT SEEMS EASIER TO YOU GOING ONLINE AND MAKING A PURCHASE WITH JUST THE CLICK OF A BUTTON OR GOING INTO A STORE TO MAKE YOUR PURCHASE? THAT ANSWER MIGHT SEEM SIMPLE, BUT WHAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU IS THAT OVER 115 MILLION AMERICANS ARE CHOOSING TO GO BACK TO THE STORES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. BLACK WAS NUTS. WE COULDN’T EVEN STOP TO TAKE A BREAK. SO WE’RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. BRITTANY RUN BURGER OWNER OF PINK TAG BOUTIQUE WAS PREVIOUSLY ONLY DOING ONLINE, BUT IN OCTOBER SHE OPENED A BRICK AND MORTAR STORE IN THE OXMOOR CENTER. I HEARD ALL AROUND THAT MALL TRAFFIC IS UP AND JUST FROM BEING HERE THE SHORT TIME WE’VE BEEN HERE, I CAN TELL THAT MALL TRAFFIC DEFINITELY IS UP. AND IT’S NOT JUST THE MALLS THAT HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN SHOPPERS. FORBES REPORTED THAT IN-PERSON SHOPPING ON BLACK FRIDAY WAS UP ALMOST 3% COMPARED TO LAST YEAR AND UP ALMOST 5% IN STANDALONE STORES WITH COVID. WE ALL HAD TO KIND OF SHOP ONLINE AND I THINK JUST FROM THE CUSTOMERS WALK INTO THE STORE, PEOPLE ARE HAPPY TO BE BACK IN THE STORE. THEY PREFER A LOT, PREFER TO SHOP IN PERSON. ACCORDING TO A SURVEY DONE BY RETAIL DIVE, THE REASON CONSUMERS ARE GOING BACK TO IN-PERSON SHOPPING, THEY ENJOY STORE AMBIANCE WHILE OTHERS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SHIPPING DELAYS. BUT THE MAIN REASON THEY JUST LIKE TRYING ON ITEMS BEFORE THEY BUY IT. I THINK THEY LIKE TO FEEL AND TOUCH ITEMS SO A STORE OFFERS THAT YOU CAN’T TOUCH AND FEEL THINGS ONLINE. WHILE ONLINE SHOPPING IS STILL SET TO RULE, THE HOLIDAY SEASON, EXPECTING TO BRING IN MORE 11 BILLION IN TOTAL REVENUE, RITTENBERG SAYS SHE STILL EXPECTS POSITIVE THINGS FROM HER NEW STORE FRONT. IT IS SLOWLY CATCHING UP TO OUR ONLINE SELF. NOT AS GREAT, STILL, BUT WE HAVEN’T BEEN HERE SO LONG, SO WE’LL FIND OUT. AN

If you didn't shop on Black Friday, chances are you're probably going to buy something online on Cyber Monday. While customers are still choosing to shop online more than in-store, brick-and-mortar stores are starting to make a bit of a comeback. According to Forbes, in-person retail shopping was up 2.9% from last year, and stand-alone stores like Walmart and Target saw a 4.7% increase from 2021. Britney Renbarger, owner of Pink Tag Boutique, opened a brick-and-mortar store in the Oxmoor Center in October.Previously, the shop was run only online.While Renbarger said online shopping is still where they see the most sales, she's seen an uptick in in-person shoppers."I've heard all around that mall traffic is up, and just from being here a short time, I can tell that mall traffic definitely is up. It is slowly catching up to our online sales," Renbarger said.According to a poll done by Retail Dive, consumers are heading back to the store for various reasons like concerns over shipping delays, wanting to enjoy the holiday season ambiance in stores, and most just want to try things on before they buy them.Renbarger said she agrees."I think like to feel and touch items," Renbarger said. "So, a store offers that, you can't touch and feel things online."She also said customers have told her they enjoy the experience of shopping. Black Friday alone brought in an estimated $9 billion in revenue across the U.S., while Cyber Monday is expected to rake in $11 billion. According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 166.3 million consumers participated in some kind of shopping from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. Of the 114.9 million planning to shop, 67% said they were heading into stores.So, while online sales are still the dominant force, don't count out the tradition of shopping in stores just yet.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

If you didn't shop on Black Friday, chances are you're probably going to buy something online on Cyber Monday.

While customers are still choosing to shop online more than in-store, brick-and-mortar stores are starting to make a bit of a comeback.

According to Forbes, in-person retail shopping was up 2.9% from last year, and stand-alone stores like Walmart and Target saw a 4.7% increase from 2021.

Britney Renbarger, owner of Pink Tag Boutique, opened a brick-and-mortar store in the Oxmoor Center in October.

Previously, the shop was run only online.

While Renbarger said online shopping is still where they see the most sales, she's seen an uptick in in-person shoppers.

"I've heard all around that mall traffic is up, and just from being here a short time, I can tell that mall traffic definitely is up. It is slowly catching up to our online sales," Renbarger said.

According to a poll done by Retail Dive, consumers are heading back to the store for various reasons like concerns over shipping delays, wanting to enjoy the holiday season ambiance in stores, and most just want to try things on before they buy them.

Renbarger said she agrees.

"I think [customers] like to feel and touch items," Renbarger said. "So, a store offers that, you can't touch and feel things online."

She also said customers have told her they enjoy the experience of shopping.

Black Friday alone brought in an estimated $9 billion in revenue across the U.S., while Cyber Monday is expected to rake in $11 billion.

According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 166.3 million consumers participated in some kind of shopping from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. Of the 114.9 million planning to shop, 67% said they were heading into stores.

So, while online sales are still the dominant force, don't count out the tradition of shopping in stores just yet.

Are customers choosing online over in-store shopping this holiday season?

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