LTK has unveiled its 2024 Holiday Shopper Study, showcasing the latest consumer trends ahead of the busiest shopping season of the year. LTK pioneered creator commerce that has reshaped the retail industry with consumers shifting their shopping habits to creators and purchasing more than $4 billion through LTK Creators.
An overwhelming majority of shoppers make purchases from creators now – 75% of Gen Z, 64% of Millennials and 58% of the general population. The new LTK Holiday Shopper Study highlights the striking differences between the behaviors, trends and preferences of consumers that shop from creators as we approach the peak shopping season by taking a look at insights from shoppers on the LTK platform.
The reported data is from a survey conducted in June 2024 among 1,125 participants, reflective of the United States population with 97% confidence.
Shoppers that purchase from creators are set to make a significant impact this holiday season with their buying power up an impressive 38% YoY, while the buying power of the general population decreased 8% from last year. The study reveals four major categories that creator shoppers plan to buy more or the same this year than the general population. When it comes to entertaining essentials, 75% of consumers that shop creators plan to buy more or the same compared to just 53% of the general population.
As for home goods and decor, 79% of LTK shoppers plan to buy more or the same—a 39% increase over the general population. Plans to purchase entertaining essentials and home products align to cooking and recipes being the top watched creator content amongst consumers during the holidays. Creator shopping communities also plan to spend more or the same on gifts and themselves this season.
Creators see their communities shopping even earlier than the general population with 70% of LTK shoppers planning to start their holiday shopping by late September—a notable 18% YoY increase. In comparison, 38% of the general population plans to start shopping by late September while Gen Z shoppers tend to start later, with 50% planning to begin their shopping in early November or later.
During the holidays, deals are important to most shoppers. This year, the general population continues to prioritize price over brand and quality with more consumers planning to shop during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to save money than last year. However, for those that shop from LTK creators, availability and brand rank highest in priority. While price is still important to these shoppers, the availability of products is more important, which indicates the need for retailers to keep items well stocked.
Consumers are planning to shop multiple categories from creator recommendations for the holiday season. This year, entertainment-focused gifts like games, music and books are a top ranked gifting category across the general population, Millennials and Gen Z. Followed by fashion for Millennials, while Gen Z leans towards beauty and personal care products as their number one gifting category. Sports equipment and clothing is also a popular gifting category amongst Gen Z—up 95% this year. For self-gifting, beauty and personal care ranks as the number one spot across the board.
