Five Shopping Tech Trends this Holiday Season

With the holiday season in full swing, the Consumer Technology Association ’s research team is tracking top trends in consumer shopping patterns and technology purchases. Here are some top findings from our annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns study and Unwrapping Tech Trends: How Black Friday and Cyber Monday Drive Holiday Shopping.

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1. 81% of U.S. adults plan to purchase technology as a gift.

Despite inflation and a higher cost of living, Americans are still spending on technology. A record number of holiday shoppers, some 81% or 209 million consumers, are expected to purchase technology this holiday season.?

2. Nearly half of Americans plan to gift health and wellness products.

This holiday season, about 45% of American adults reported plans to purchase health and wellness products or services as a gift. Air purifiers, smart or connected health monitoring devices and fitness equipment topped the list of health-related technology gifts this year.

3. Streaming content stands out.

Streaming content and services remain a popular choice among gift shoppers this season. More than 160 million Americans plan to buy and gift streaming content. Games, videos, music, audio and audiobooks that make entertainment and education accessible are the perfect 'gift card.'

4. Technology steps in as a shopping assistant.

Our Black Friday survey found that 98% of Thanksgiving week shoppers planned to use some type of technology to aid them in their shopping. Consumers are using technology to compare prices, research products, check availability and read reviews. Technology makes it easy for shoppers to make educated purchases while shopping for their loved ones.

5. Technology makes deals more accessible and transparent.?

Technology is making deals more accessible and helping shoppers save money. About 50% percent of consumers expect to learn about sales and deals online, with another half expecting to hear about deals from TV advertisements.?