Merry, Bright And New: Bed Bath & Beyond® 'Holiday Traditions At Home' Study Reveals This Holiday Season Will Be A Season Of Firsts For Many Families

UNION, N.J., Nov. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Bed Bath & Beyond® (NASDAQ: BBBY) 'Holiday Traditions at Home' 2020 study reveals that families are going all-out on holiday cheer to 'Enjoy the Present' this year—even if that means embracing the experimental over the tried-and-true. Despite the pandemic, a majority of Americans (67%) believe it is more important than ever to celebrate the holidays and are filled with feelings of hope and excitement (63%) as they anticipate the season. Most people (54%) are also embracing new traditions to make sure the season stays merry and bright in the place that's closest to our hearts: our homes.

In fact, many Americans say they are trying new things for the first time: 21% are celebrating the December holidays at home for the first time, while others will try their hand at preparing their first-ever turkey on Thanksgiving. Others admit this will be the first year they adorn their homes – both inside and out – with decorations, and some even say they will take the festivities outside. Over half of Americans (54%) can even see themselves carrying new holiday traditions they make this year into future holiday seasons.

"The holidays are going to look different this year, but Americans are excited to be at home and determined to enjoy the present, even if that means celebrating traditions with a twist," says Cindy Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of Bed Bath & Beyond and President of Decorist. "That's why we're taking extra steps to deliver even more inspiration, value and ease this holiday season. From design ideas and cooking tips for first-time holiday hosts, to the technology you need to stay connected with loved ones virtually, we'll be here to help make this holiday season special. We're offering more ways to save, across more days than ever, and our new fast, convenient and stress-free Store Pickup, contactless Curbside Pickup and Same Day Delivery services mean customers can spend more time celebrating traditions old and new this year." 

Home really is where the heart is, with half (50%) of all Americans saying they are excited to have a reason to stay at home this holiday season instead of going out, with millennials (61%) the most excited to celebrate at home. The "Holiday Traditions at Home" study identified four types of Americans getting creative with their celebrations to make the best of this joyful time of year. However people plan to celebrate, Bed Bath & Beyond is here to help.

1.  First-Time Traditionalists. Over half (54%) of all Americans are looking forward to making new winter holiday traditions at home this year. Twenty-seven percent of people say that making new traditions will help to make their holidays feel more special this holiday season. So how are Americans twisting tradition? Nineteen percent plan to cook their first Thanksgiving dinner and 15% will try preparing a new holiday recipe they've never tried before for their family, something more men (18%) are excited about trying than women (13%). Nearly a quarter (23%) are taking the festivities outside, with even more (28%) having a new holiday tradition in mind: planning an outdoor hot cocoa bonfire. To keep things merry no matter the weather, many (15%) are investing in heaters, fire pits, outdoor furniture, or other items. 

• Celebrate Outdoors: Transforming your backyard into a winter wonderland has never been easier with the Cozy Backyard Holiday collection, curated by Bed Bath & Beyond's design team at Decorist. Thanks to our new Same Day Delivery service, customers can also order from us in the morning and have most items delivered straight to their homes the same day.  So, whether you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time and need that all-important kitchen essential, or an UGG® Classic Sherpa Throw Blanket (only $39.99 for Black Friday!) to make your outdoor celebration holiday ready, we're here for you.

2.  Deck-orators. Americans are looking forward to decking the halls this year, with many planning to start earlier (22%)—and put up more decorations (29%)—than they have in the past. In fact, about one in five (17%), or 42 million Americans have already started putting up their decorations for December; that's especially true for city dwellers (29%) who are much more likely to have gotten a jumpstart than those who live in suburban (12%) or rural (11%) areas. As many as twelve million Americans couldn't wait until the fall this year; they hauled out their holiday decorations to create some festive cheer in the home at the start of the pandemic.

• Holiday Inspiration: Customers looking for a little inspiration are in luck. Bed Bath & Beyond's online interior design service Decorist has put together holiday decorating and entertaining inspiration—including state-of-the art 3D renderings and blog posts. Customers can quickly find the easy solutions, thoughtful gifts, relevant tips, and the ideas they need to keep the holidays bright on Bed Bath & Beyond's website, marketing and social channels.

3.  Merry Makers. Nearly half (49%) say a home-cooked meal with family will help make the holidays feel special this year. Others believe listening to holiday music (44%) and baking holiday dessert favorites with family (34%) will do the trick. Women are more likely than men to think a home cooked meal with family (55% vs. 42%), listening to holiday music (50% vs. 38%), and baking holiday dessert favorites (41% vs. 27%) will help make the winter holidays feel more special. Close to three in five (57%) will purchase at least one new item this year to help make the holidays special. Among them, a majority (57%) plan on buying holiday-themed decorations. Women (40% vs. 32%) are more excited than men about buying the perfect present for someone else...while men (24% vs. 18%) are more excited about receiving it.

• More Ways to Save, Across More Days: You don't need to wait to enjoy incredible values this year, with more deals across more days than ever before. From Holiday Daily Deals, to our extended Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers, customers can enjoy as much as 25% off their entire in-store purchase, Curbside, and Store Pickup orders. BEYOND+® is the secret way to save, giving members free shipping on all orders, and 25% off from Wednesday, 11/25 to Saturday, 11/28. Bed Bath & Beyond is also helping customers spend more time celebrating with loved ones this year with hassle-free, fast and convenient shopping services like free Store Pickup and contactless Curbside Pickup. 

4.  Virtual Celebrators. With this year's Thanksgiving being dubbed Zoomsgiving, Americans will be most thankful for technology, which will play a critical role in helping families stay connected. Nearly 40 million Americans plan to celebrate the holidays with their family virtually for the first time. About two in five (39%) are expecting to video chat with family during their usual festivities and over a quarter (28%) are willing to try opening gifts with loved ones virtually this year. Others are planning to watch a classic movie together over video chat (12%) or host a virtual event (12%). Three in 10 (30%) say video chatting or Facetiming with long-distance family and friends will make the holidays feel more special.

• Smart Devices to Connect: To help stay connected to loved ones near and far, Bed Bath & Beyond offers multiple smart devices for video chats, recipe sharing and more offering incredible values for Black Friday including the Google Nest Hub, (save up to $40) and Amazon Echo Show 8 (2pk, save up to $130).

Bed Bath & Beyond is offering inspirational ideas and products with incredible value throughout the holidays on everything from seasonal décor to home essentials or thoughtful gifts. Bed Bath & Beyond's Beyond+ loyalty program is the secret savings tool this holiday season. For only $29 annually, Beyond+ members receive 20% off their entire purchase, every time they shop, and will also enjoy free standard shipping throughout the year. Bed Bath & Beyond will also help customers spend more time celebrating with loved ones this year, with hassle-free, fast and convenient omnichannel shopping services like free Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store and contactless Curbside Pickup, as well as the newly introduced Same Day Delivery service. The Same Day Delivery service is available at a flat rate fee of $4.99 for orders over $39, providing an easy, convenient and affordable option for customers this year that is perfect for last minute gifts and entertaining essentials.

For more details on Bed Bath & Beyond® holiday, visit https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/.

Survey Methodology:
Sample: Based on an online survey of 1,003 people aged 18+ in the United States, conducted by Kelton Global, a Material Company, for Bed Bath & Beyond. The survey was conducted online during the period of October 30^th—November 1^st, 2020 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%. Additional methodology details available upon request. 

About Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") is an omnichannel retailer that makes it easy for our customers to feel at home. The Company sells a wide assortment of merchandise in the Home, Baby, Beauty and Wellness markets. Additionally, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates retail stores in Mexico under the name Bed Bath & Beyond.

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SOURCE Bed Bath & Beyond