Memorial Day Spending: Last Year’s Sales, Products And Trends Shape 2019
Almost 43 million Americans will kick off their summers by celebrating and travelling for Memorial Day this weekend. AAA predicts Memorial Day Weekend 2019 will see an increase of 3.5% of people traveling from last year, resulting in the second-highest travel volume for Memorial Day since the company first start recording holiday travel volume in 2000.
As Americans prep their grills and open their pools, they’ll also be heading to malls and opening their laptops to take advantage of great sales. Read on to dive into last Memorial Day’s sales successes to prepare for the 2019 holiday.
Search Popularity Increases
Memorial Day sales have grown year after year. Google Trends even reports that last year saw the highest popularity for search term “Memorial Day sale.”
Average Spend During Memorial Day Weekend
Eight in 10 Americans were projected to spend an average $486 over the 2018 Memorial Day weekend, with men were projected to outspend women by 150%.
Last year, 74 million participating Americans were projected to spend $36 billion overall during the holiday weekend.
Where Consumers Shop During Memorial Day Weekend
Of consumers who planned to shop during Memorial Day weekend, 93% planned to visit brick and mortar shops and shop online last year, while 50% planned to shop solely in-store as opposed to online.
What Consumers Buy During Memorial Day Weekend
Apparel, department stores and electronics are the most popular retail categories for Memorial Day weekend shopping, with the last reinforcing stereotypes among gender-biased shopping. According to AdWeek, 56% of men purchased electronics compared to 31% of women, while 72% of women shopped at apparel stores compared to 56% of men. Overall, brick and mortar stores were projected to do well during the holiday weekend.
What Interests Consumers During Memorial Day Weekend
The prospect of sales and savings are most likely what draw in so many consumers during Memorial Day weekend. 45.5% of adults 18 years old and older and almost 60% of adults between 18 and 34 were “somewhat” or “very likely” to shop sales and promotions during Memorial Day weekend in 2018.
Consider The Memorial Day Micromoments
Prepare for Memorial Day sales by understanding the mindset of your consumers. Think about the activities they may be interested in and what they may need to complete those activities:
- Parade: Consumers may need chairs, water and sunscreen to enjoy a parade.
- Barbeque: To host a successful barbeque, consumers may need grills, hamburgers, sodas and beer.
- Road trip: For a road trip, consumers may need gas and hotel reservations. Plus, they may indulge in vehicle upkeep.
When planning your Memorial Day weekend marketing strategies, think about how your brand fits into consumers’ holiday plans.