Deck The Malls With Crowds Of Shoppers: Survey Reveals What People Love To Hate About Holiday Shopping

By: Auntie Anne's | 1,021 Shares 211 Reads

Auntie Anne's® Offers Consumers Chance to Win a "Perfect Day at the Mall"

October 29, 2007 // Franchising.com // LANCASTER, Pa. - 'Tis the season... to go shopping. In just a few weeks, millions of Americans will hit the malls in search of the perfect holiday gifts. Unfortunately, for most this means playing bumper cars in the parking lot, elbowing their way through crowded stores, standing in mile-long lines and emptying out their wallets faster than Santa shimmies down a chimney. It's enough to put a damper on anyone's holiday cheer, and that's why Auntie Anne's® Pretzels is offering consumers the chance to have a "Perfect Day at the Mall" this holiday season.

So what does that look like? According to a recent survey commissioned by Auntie Anne's, the worldwide hand-rolled soft pretzel chain located primarily in malls, and conducted by Harris Interactive®, it's stress-free parking and plenty of spending money. The survey found that 85 percent of consumers will visit the mall at least once during the holiday shopping season, and that more than a third will make a trip to the mall at least five times before Christmas. And, according to those polled, driving to and from the mall and spending massive amounts of cash are among the most stressful parts of the mall experience. About half of consumers said that traffic and finding a parking spot contribute to a stressful mall experience. Nearly one in five says that getting over the "financial hangover" stresses them out.

In response to these findings, Auntie Anne's is determined to make the holiday mall experience more enjoyable. On October 29, the chain is launching a "Pretzel Perfect Day at the Mall" sweepstakes, which offers one lucky grand prize winner a $4,000 shopping spree, chauffeured limousine transportation to and from the mall, a personal valet to carry all the bags and a $25 Auntie Anne's gift card. More than 60 additional winners may also receive shopping sprees and/or a $25 Auntie Anne's gift card. To enter the sweepstakes, which runs through November 30, and for a complete list of rules, holiday shoppers can visit www.auntieannes.com.

Getting into the Holiday Shopping Spirit
Even though many factors can contribute to a stressful shopping experience, consumers polled agree that the mall isn't all bad during the holidays. Nearly two-thirds of shoppers said that their favorite thing about going to the mall during the holidays is taking advantage of seasonal sales. Almost half of those surveyed enjoy the festive decorations, and about a third of consumers even admitted to enjoying the holiday music piped through the mall.

If the holiday decorations and music aren't enough to put a shopper in the holiday spirit, what is? More than half of those surveyed said that having extra spending money would help perfect their holiday mall experience. Other top responses include no lines in the stores, a prime parking spot, a personal shopper, someone to carry all of the holiday purchases and a chauffeur to drive to and from the mall, and Auntie Anne's took into account some of the most popular answers when developing the grand prize for the "Pretzel Perfect Day at the Mall" sweepstakes.

When asked to name the perfect shopping partner, the most popular answer consumers gave was no one - 30 percent of respondents prefer to shop alone. This was followed closely by a spouse or significant other, selected by 28 percent of shoppers. The next most popular answers were a friend (20 percent) or a family member (19 percent).

Battle of the Sexes Heats Up During Holiday Mall Season
Not surprisingly, men and women look at the holiday mall experience very differently, with women seemingly enjoying it more. More than half of women polled list the holiday decorations among their favorite aspect of shopping at the mall, as opposed to only 29 percent of men. More women also like the holiday music played at malls (44 percent of women vs. 23 percent of men); in fact, about one in eight men polled said that the holiday music is one of the things that most stresses them out about shopping. Also, twice as many women as men said having their child's picture taken with Santa is one of their favorite mall features.

When it comes to the perfect shopping partner, men listed a spouse or significant other as their number one choice, but their female counterparts do not feel the same way. Women ranked a family member or a friend as the perfect person to shop with more often than a spouse or significant other.

Love it or hate it, holiday shopping at the mall is an activity most Americans will participate in between now and the year's end. To make it a time to look forward to, all shoppers are invited to log on to www.auntieannes.com to enter the "Pretzel Perfect Day at the Mall" sweepstakes, and also encouraged to take a well-deserved shopping break while in the mall by stopping by Auntie Anne's for a freshly baked, hand-rolled soft pretzel. After all, one in eight people polled said their favorite part about the holiday mall experience is rewarding themselves with a satisfying snack.

Survey Methodology
The Perfect Day at the Mall survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive, on behalf of Auntie Anne's, Inc., within the United States between September 21 and September 25, 2007 among 2,199 U.S. adults ages 18+, of whom, 1,875 typically take at least one trip to the mall during the holiday season.

About Auntie Anne's

Auntie Anne's, Inc. is a Pennsylvania-based franchisor that supports over 925 Auntie Anne's Pretzels locations worldwide. The concept mixes, twists and bakes pretzels to golden brown perfection in full view of customers. Auntie Anne's is committed to pretzel perfection by guaranteeing you will love its pretzels or they will replace it with one that you do.