It’s always interesting to look at the trends from Meta’s Seasonal Holidays Study, and one thing to note this year is how carefully and how far in advance people are planning for end-of-year purchases.Shoppers, especially the younger generation, agree that planning ahead financially for the holiday season is more important than ever. Mega Sales Days (MSDs) are acting as catalysts, with their promise of delivering good bargains, entertainment and cultural relevance.
Clearly, MSDs are here to stay, as the Asia Pacific (APAC) region recorded the highest MSD participation rate last year. Our survey showed that a whopping 83 per cent of year-end shoppers in APAC made a purchase during an MSD compared to the global average of 70 per cent (in partnership with YouGov, we surveyed 14,009 people aged 18+ in December 2022 across 12 APAC markets). APAC also saw the largest increase in MSD spending at US$382 per person, which amounts to a 13 per cent increase vs the global average, which is a five per cent increase.
It’s interesting to note that APAC shoppers are still spending despite caution around global economic headwinds; they’re more open to discovering new products and services during the MSD season. This means businesses will need to rely on supercharging discovery more than ever.AI-powered social discovery Our survey shows that more shoppers are leaning towards social platforms for discovery and inspiration during the year-end shopping season, with reliance on in-store, sea.