Christmas Season: Strategy Trends

As the 2020 festive period draws ever closer, retailers and shoppers alike are having to brave government restrictions and a global pandemic in order to shop for their families this year. So it is no surprise that more shoppers than ever are saying that they will be shopping exclusively online this year.

At 5874 Commerce we believe that to be successful in the eCommerce industry, it’s important to take note of trends, so to help you stay informed as we move into a festive period like no other, we have compiled a list of our 6 Christmas season strategy trends.

Flexible Shopping

As more people are hit with financial challenges due to Covid restrictions, it is more likely than ever that consumers will be bargain hunting this year for their Christmas presents. It is unlikely that we will have the usual surge of Christmas shoppers scrambling to get everyone’s presents during November and December, instead, consumers will be either looking for more flexible shopping options such as Klarna, promotional offers, or free shipping or buying earlier to avoid their desired items being out of stock.

Get social

Facebook and Instagram are no longer platforms for just being social, since they have opened their marketplaces there has been an increase in consumers buying through the platforms, as well as researching products, reviews, and brand engagement. If you would like to increase your brand reach during this festive period then increasing your brand’s social media presence is one way to draw in new customers. As shoppers are moving more towards the online sphere they want more brand engagement and a more personalised shopping experience, if you highlight your products on social media platforms frequently over the holiday period you could be gaining new customers for the season or you could be getting a new loyal customer for life.

Ease of Payments

With the future of the high street becoming increasingly uncertain this year, more shoppers will be turning to online retailers this year to provide their gifting needs. As more shoppers make the jump from in-store shopping to online or click and collect it is important to make sure your website can handle the digital leap. Over the Christmas period, consumers want to be able to protect themselves when buying online, with this in mind more sites are employing various payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal, and Amazon Pay which offer various levels of buyer protection. Taking into account customer concerns when designing or amending your site is what leads to customer loyalty long after the holiday season has ended.

The rise of the retail app

More and more retailers are implementing apps in their User Journey, from Asos to Target, brands are making it easier than ever for customers to shop, buy, and gain rewards from their phone. This lets the customer shop at their own leisure when they want, allows for more flexible shopping, and keeps the customer within your user journey for longer as they have to close the app to shop elsewhere. By using apps or PWAs over the festive period marketing Christmas promotions and gifts directly to the consumer through push notifications is a powerful way to raise brand awareness and increase your sales this holiday season. Give your customers exactly what they want, less stress, and a more convenient shopping experience.

Trending uncertainty

2020 has seen a shift in our priorities globally and this has affected the way businesses operate as it is becoming more difficult to predict future trends. People’s interests and hobbies are becoming shaped by uncertainty due to various Government restrictions and intermittent lockdowns. This has made it difficult for businesses to find trends within marketing in 2020 as our usual routines have been thrown out of the window by ‘the great reset’. Customers are becoming more home focussed as this is where we are spending the majority of our time now and the increase in people searching for home workouts, loungewear, and DIY products has reflected this. Over the Christmas season, you may struggle to find the clear trends that were seen in previous years as consumer’s priorities continue to shift and change with the unpredictability of the current world.

Consumers have questions and they want answers

Due to the uncertainty of the global climate, it is only natural that customers will have more questions about the brands that they buy from. In particular online shoppers may pose questions around returning products, international delivery during the pandemic, shipping fees, and many more details that may influence their decisions to buy a product. Consumers are also demanding more accountability and transparency from the brands they purchase from, they want to know what Covid precautions are in place, how sustainable are products/packaging, and various other questions that brands may never have had to answer before. As we move through the festive season it would be beneficial to make sure your customer service is user-friendly, easily accessible, and responds in a timely fashion.

If you need assistance with your eCommerce strategy, get in touch with our experts by emailing success@5874commerce.com or calling 0121 369 5874!