SAN DIEGO, Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Many retailers
plan to open their doors for Black Friday shoppers earlier this
year, but according to a recent survey from ecoATM, the nationwide
network of device recycling kiosks, that might not be enough to get
shoppers in the door. The survey found that only 18 percent of
Americans plan to do their shopping on Black Friday – and only
seven percent on Cyber Monday – compared with the 44 percent who
said they plan to shop for the majority of their gifts during the
first few weeks of December.
However, when consumers do start shopping, more plan to shop in
store rather than online this season, even despite free shipping
and other online holiday deals. Consumers plan to shop at the
following locations:
- 61 percent at discount retail stores such as Target
- 57 percent at online sites such as Amazon or eBay
- 36 percent at shopping malls
- 32 percent at department stores such as Macys or
Bloomingdales
- 23 percent at specialty retail stores such as Apple, Gap,
Sports Authority, etc.
Regardless of where and when Americans do their shopping, almost
one quarter plans to use cash at the checkout counter this holiday
season. There are more than 1,500 ecoATM® kiosks in malls and
select retailers nationwide that give instant cash for old devices
such as MP3 players, tablets and smartphones – cash that can help
consumers buy the new gadgets on their wish list this holiday.
"Smartphones and tablets remain popular holiday gifts especially
given the influx of new devices available this fall," said
Maria Stipp, president of ecoATM.
"Many upgrade to new devices over the holidays, but consumers don't
need to wait to cash in. Trading in old phones and tablets at
stores where consumers are already shopping can quickly boost
holiday budgets."
Additional findings from the survey include:
- Hot gadgets on the wish list. The most popular gadget
this year on consumers' wish lists is a new laptop (30 percent)
then tablet (29 percent), television (28 percent), smartphone
(28 percent), gaming console (18 percent), fitness
band/tracker (12 percent) and smart watch (12 percent).
- Consumers choose phones over family. More than one
quarter of consumers (27 percent) would rather spend time connected
to their smartphone than their families this holiday!
- Trading in holiday annoyances. Traffic jams top the list
of holiday frustrations consumers would like to trade in most for
cash (35 percent), followed by fruit cake (19 percent), re-gifted
presents (18 percent), annoying in-laws (11 percent), work holiday
parties (nine percent) and canned cranberry sauce (eight
percent).
For more information and locations, please visit
http://www.ecoatm.com/.
Methodology: The research was conducted within the
U.S. by independent market research company Edelman Berland on behalf of ecoATM from
November 7-10, 2014, among 1,000
consumers age 18 or older. The margin of error for the audience is
±3.1% at the 95% confidence level.
About ecoATM
ecoATM, an Outerwall Inc. (Nasdaq: OUTR) brand, is the first
company to create an automated self-serve kiosk system to buy back
old phones, tablets or MP3 players for cash. ecoATM uses patented,
advanced machine vision, electronic diagnostics, and artificial
intelligence to evaluate electronics. ecoATM's eCycling
stations provide a convenient trade-in solution with features that
validate sellers' identities and deter the sale of stolen phones,
and the company collaborates with national, state, and local
law-enforcement groups in combating mobile phone theft through
innovative use of technology and
education (http://www.ecoatm.com/law-enforcement/).
ecoATM holds Responsible Recycling (R2) and ISO14001
certification, confirming the company's commitment to maintaining
the highest standards of electronics recycling, as well as ISO27001
certification for information and personal data security. See
http://www.ecoatm.com/how-it-works/ for a video of how an ecoATM
kiosk works. For more information, visit www.ecoatm.com and
for more information about Outerwall Inc. please visit
www.outerwall.com.
About Outerwall Inc.
Outerwall Inc. (Nasdaq: OUTR) has more than 20 years of
experience creating some of the most profitable spaces for their
retail partners. The company mission is to create a better everyday
by delivering breakthrough kiosk experiences that delight consumers
and generate revenue for retailers. As the company that brought
consumers Redbox® entertainment, Coinstar®
money services, and ecoATM® electronics recycling
kiosks, Outerwall is leading the next generation of automated
retail and paving the way for inventive, scalable businesses.
Outerwall™ kiosks are in neighborhood grocery stores, drug stores,
mass merchants, malls, and other retail locations in the United States, Canada, Puerto
Rico, the United Kingdom,
and Ireland. Learn more at
www.outerwall.com.
SOURCE ecoATM