Attention Holiday Shoppers

Attention Holiday Shoppers!

As the holiday season approaches it’s clear that things are continuing to change. I came across an article via Online Media Daily “Google Search Trends: Consumers to Spend More Online This Holiday Season” and came across these key takeaways.

Certainly, the author Laurie Sullivan made some great insights. Yet, I can’t help but think that the most important information to our clients was not really highlighted with the impact required.

What I find most impactful (and not good news to brands) is that nearly two in three (2/3) shoppers plan to shop around and 63% (that’s right 63%) DO NOT HAVE SPECIFIC BRANDS IN MIND. One has to ask how this impacts our longer-term marketing initiatives, a topic for discussion later.

Most alarming in evaluating our ongoing marketing efforts but also providing us with many opportunities (in my opinion) are the following insights.

1)   81% of shoppers will rely on discounts.

2)   76% will use free shipping (a discount)

3)   60% will act on incentives (a discount)

4)   59% are open to trying companies

Clearly Internet shopping has really leveled the playing field. If you want a view of the new world, you can be new, and if you offer free shipping and other incentives, you have the opportunity to capture your share of the holiday shopping spend.

The study also points to the increase in mobile, so if your site isn’t responsive, it’s really time to get updating your web experience. This is more important if your target consists of the Millennials (ages 18 – 34), as 95% of this group will use the smart phone for research and one-third (1/3) of this group will make a purchase on their smartphone.

The takeaway, Attention Holiday Shoppers, buy now, buy at a discount and we’ll provide free shipping. This is in keeping with our recommendation of building your email marketing lists, as email allows you to control the message – your target, your message, your offer on your schedule.  Make no mistake retailer or not, how we shop is changing, and it’s changing rapidly, you need to make the appropriate changes.

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, Oakville, Ontario, November 2013

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