UK shoppers are increasingly discerning about the timing and quality of the offers they engage with and the places they look for them, according to new research on the Golden Quarter from employee benefits company Reward Gateway | Edenred.
Although actual spend exceeded consumers’ spend intentions, the study showed that over half of consumers experienced trust issues with deal environments during the season.
One in three found it difficult to identify genuine offers across Black Friday week, and 29% said they actively avoided deal sites.
At the same time, the research showed that offer quality is a key factor in decision-making. If an offer was perceived as “exceptional,” a shopper would purchase immediately.
But brands showing up consistently throughout the quarter also informed purchasing decisions, the data showed.
Jo Hunt, Head of Global Merchant Content Partnerships, Reward Gateway | Edenred, noted that brands seeking to capture purchases should begin earlier and maintain visibility throughout the period, while also utilising channels that shoppers trust. Here, closed user groups can be an effective lever, according to the research.
From a survey of consumers with access to employer discount platforms, 80% shared they would trust these platforms for “legitimate, high-quality offers,” compared to 40% for voucher sites and 22% for offers found via search.
“The real prize is incremental revenue: spend that consumers had no intention of making until the right offer, at the right moment, made it irresistible. Spending plans may flex, but only for the brands who get it right,” said Hunt.
