Just like that, another year is coming to an end, welcoming the festive spirit of Christmas. Every year it seems that Christmas preparations start earlier and earlier. Though today, there is a notable holiday shopping rush that’s happening by the end of October, with consumers hurrying to tick all the boxes of their shopping lists faster than ever again.
Why is that happening? The main drivers of early holiday shopping are the wide warnings about supply chain disruption and the risk of delayed deliveries. And of course, there is a continuous fear of possibly new lockdown restrictions that may ruin Christmas celebrations.
As a result, this dynamic rush has become a reality in 2021. The good news is that consumers are willing to spend and, as it seems, this season offers major profit potential for all the markets. Plus, most shoppers will turn to online buying this year, but many still miss the in-store experience, and they will choose the Christmas gifts for their beloved ones physically. Brands need to take into consideration the whole shopping behavior and act wisely. After all, it’s never too early or too late to take all the right steps and deliver the craved shopping experience throughout the holiday shopping period.
Here are some essential steps to follow:
Promote appealing offers & provide shopping conveniences
Let’s not forget that these days, customers seek exclusive offers to boost their shopping activities, as price sensitivity plays an important role for major purchases and for picking presents as well. Also, smart buying incentives should be on the table. Brands can motivate consumers to shop in-store by offering premium in-store-only discounts, special seasonal gifts, and in-store pick-up services, including simplified payment processes.
Moreover, as retailers face increasing supply chain and timely delivery challenges, it’s important to inform and reassure the customers regarding deliverability on time and product sufficiency through messaging strategies to build a trustful customer-brand relationship that will last beyond this festive period.
And the ultimate step is promoting personalized offers, enhancing customer satisfaction:
Prioritize an advanced first-party data strategy
How to promote personalized and targeting offers despite the data privacy and the shift toward a cookieless world? First-party customer data is the answer to this vital question. Consumers are comfortable sharing data directly with retailers if there’s a valuable reward as an exchange since they want to receive relevant offers and information at the right time through the right channel. Thus, retailers should prioritize creating and strengthening their first-party data strategies to serve more personalized offers that will drive and improve customer engagement.
Offer an omnichannel solution
During this critical period, brands should adopt tactics to drive both online and offline purchases and ensure a satisfying customer experience in all possible ways.
““Retailers who remain resilient to shifting consumer behaviors and offer convenient options for online and in-store shopping, as well as order fulfillment, will be poised for growth this holiday season and into the new year,” said Rod Sides, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, and U.S. retail and distribution sector leader.
Consumers are embracing hybrid shopping experiences, declaring that they plan to split their shopping between in-store and online. So, brands are called to connect seamlessly physical and digital worlds, leveraging all the communication channels: e-shop, mobile application, social media, SMS and email messaging, push notifications, etc.
Retailers and eCommerce brands should keep in mind that customers’ behaviors will continue to reshape and shift new trends and challenges related to shopping during the post-Covid era. To retain and satisfy customers, brands need to reimagine, build and maintain a personalized and value-driven customer engagement strategy all year round.
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