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Intelligence Center’s 2022 Holiday Retail Shopping Study reveals that just under 9-in-10 multicultural consumers plan on shopping at all this year, which is significantly lower than 2021. With many citing money as the reason why they will not partake in holiday gift-giving in 2022, it is clear that marketers must make every multicultural consumer interaction count in the coming months. 

Advertisers must seek ways to stand out and resonate more authentically with diverse audiences. Old-fashioned campaigns with one-size-fits-all creative and messaging strategies should be seen as a thing of the past, and marketing plans must strive for greater cultural representation to be more successful. 

Multicultural Holiday Gift Shopping in 2022

After two holiday seasons overshadowed by the global pandemic, marketers can easily transition back to the rhythms and rituals associated with gift-giving as we approach the end of 2022. These factors are likely to translate to an increased level of in-person holiday shopping due to broad vaccination adoption and relaxed social distancing guidelines. 

In fact, Intelligence Center’s 2022 Holiday Retail Shopping Study reveals that significantly more multicultural shoppers will leverage omnichannel services, like in-store and curbside pickup, that increased in popularity during the peak of the pandemic. Twenty-four percent of multicultural adults plan to shop in-store for most holiday gift purchases, versus 19% of non-multicultural adults. This may be a strategic response to avoid widespread shipping delays from online orders.

Multicultural consumers are also more likely to go in-store during key holiday sales events. Forty-nine percent of multicultural adults plan on shopping in-store or omnichannel on Black Friday (versus 43% of non-multicultural adults), while 37% of multicultural adults plan on shopping in-store or omnichannel on Cyber Monday (versus 31% of non-multicultural adults).

In addition, the 2022 Holiday Retail Shopping Study reveals that multicultural gift shoppers have less urgency to start buying gifts earlier this year. Only 34% of multicultural shoppers are planning to start holiday shopping earlier relative to last year, compared to 40% of non-multicultural adults. 

How to Engage with Multicultural Consumers During the Holiday Season

In order to reach diverse shoppers, retailers and brands need to leverage nuanced consumer insights to create more tailored messaging and creatives that are relevant to multicultural audiences. The Intelligence Center Holiday Retail Study finds that nearly 3-in-4 multicultural holiday shoppers want more retail advertising to be created with them in mind. It also finds that just over 5-in-10 feel it is important for holiday advertising to include elements of their respective cultures. 

However, Intelligence Center’s results uncover that 1-in-4 multicultural gift shoppers do not feel retail brands understand them. Holiday advertising that strikes the right tone can enhance a marketer’s chances of bolstering long-term brand equity and lifetime customer value.

With the holidays on the horizon, now is the time for brands to truly acknowledge the advertising needs that appeal to multicultural consumers. Contact My Code to learn more about reaching diverse shoppers during the 2022 gift-giving season.