HappyOrNot’s 12 Days of CXmas

The holidays – the most wonderful time of the year! Or is it? The hustle and bustle that comes with the goal of crossing everything off on your shopping list can be stressful, or blissful, depending on how you like the season.  

Speaking of shopping, it’s no secret that the holiday period leading up to Christmas, starting with the biggest bang on Black Friday, holds the biggest portion of retail sales all year. In fact, on average, the Top 10 busiest shopping days in the U.S. account for approximately 40% of all holiday retail traffic.  

We were curious: how have shoppers rated different aspects of the shopping experience during these days? To find out, we dug into our customer feedback data in U.S. retail from 2021 and 2022 to analyze the customer satisfaction levels and see when, and why, people were happy (or not) with their shopping experience. What did the data tell us? Let’s take a look: 

#1 – Black Friday

Who enjoyed their shopping experience more this Black Friday 2022: in-store or online shoppers?  

• In-store shoppers: 84.1% 
• Online shoppers: 98.8% 

#2 – Friday before Christmas

Can shopping on Christmas Eve be a joyful experience? 

• Yes! The 2021 customer satisfaction score on this day was 89.1%, which was 2.6% higher than an average Friday score of 86.4%

#3 – Boxing Day 

What are shoppers most happy about when visiting retailers on Boxing Day? Their top 3 highlights were ranted as:

1. Customer service 
2. Price 
3. Queues 

#4 – Super Saturday 

What were shoppers least happy about when visiting retailers on the last Saturday before Christmas, aka Super Saturday? Their top 3 pain points were rated as:

1. Queues 
2. Product selection 
3. Customer service 

 #5 – Saturday after Black Friday 

Who enjoys their shopping experience more the day after Black Friday: in-store or online shoppers?  

• In-store shoppers: 84.9% 
• Online shoppers: 99.0% 

 #6 – Second Saturday in December 

What was the best, and worst, hour to visit in-store on the second Saturday in December?  

• Best hour to shop: 10am (customer satisfaction rated at 91.9%) 
• Worst hour to shop: 7pm (customer satisfaction rated at 84%)

 #7 – Christmas Eve Eve

What areas of the shopping experience are shoppers most happy about when visiting stores on Christmas Eve Eve? Their top 3 highlights were rated as:

1. Customer service 
2. Staff friendliness 
3. Price 

 #8 – First Saturday in December 

What were shoppers most unhappy about when visiting stores on the first Saturday in December? Their top 3 pain points were rated as:

1. Customer Service 
2. Product selection 
3. Queues 

 #9 – Sunday before Christmas 

How much do shoppers enjoy shopping on the Sunday before Christmas (and is it better than any other regular Sunday)? 

• The customer satisfaction score on this day was 86.9%, over 6% higher than an average Sunday at just 80.2% 

 #10 – Wednesday before Christmas 

What is the best, and worst, hour to visit in-store on the Wednesday before Christmas? 

• Best hour to shop: 10am (customer satisfaction rated at 91.9%)  
• Worst hour to shop: 4pm (customer satisfaction rated at 84.4%) 

The takeaway? If you’re looking to have as stress-free shopping experience as possible this holiday season, we recommend starting early, visiting stores early, and being kind to others (both fellow shoppers and retail workers).