Andrew Wiseman discusses this, and other tips for festive success in e-commerce.
Let’s face it, the run up to Christmas is stressful enough. Whether you’re looking to shift that last bit of research budget (we can help! Click here), or wondering how you’re going to fit ten people around your 4-seat table on Christmas day, the next three weeks are sure to pass by in a flash.
And that’s without being an online retailer. You’ll have been spending the last couple of days high-fiving, or looking for excuses, depending on how Black Friday and Cyber Monday panned out. And now, you’ve got to go again, and either restock those items, or think of ways to get rid of your overstock. With that in mind, our Christmas survey has provided a range of tips to maximise your chances of success. Read on!
1. Delivery is king, maybe even all three kings, at Christmas
There’s nothing especially new here. We know from our retail research over the last 10 years that customers demand fast delivery. They also demand free delivery (and returns if you can, thanks!). The need for free delivery trumps fast at Christmas though, especially in a cost of living crisis. Almost 6 in 10 consumers say this is an important consideration when buying Christmas gifts online., with just under 4 in 10 wanting their gifts delivering same day / next day.
If you’re not already offering free delivery, consider doing so for minimum spend transactions. At the same time, ensure your delivery partner SLAs ensure that your customers receive what they want, when they need it by!
2. Technology is coming, technology is coming
OK, so, perhaps this isn’t quite as catchy as the iconic Coca-Cola ad. Give it a few years… virtual try-ons, voice commerce, AI recommendations and interactive displays – we’ve heard buzz about all of these things this year. But at the overall level, only 1 in 10 think that these types of development will help their Christmas shopping this year. HOWEVER, when we look at Gen Z and GenY, this number jumps to almost a quarter.
You may not have this on your roadmap for this year, but you certainly need to get this on your 2025 priority list, as it’s only likely to get more important.
3. Make sure your stock inventory is up to date
A sure-fire way to frustrate your customers this Christmas is to get them excited by your products and prices, to then not have them in stock when you add them to your basket. One in six consumers cite this as a major frustration when shopping Christmas online, with only expensive delivery (there it is again) frustrating more consumers.
A real time inventory system is no longer nice to have if you’re serious about e-commerce. This should be top of your new year’s resolutions if you don’t have one already.
4. Ease, please me
As noted at the start of this blog, the run up to Christmas is stressful. Will the turkey fit in the oven? Will my work colleague like their Secret Santa gift? The last thing people want to be doing is faffing about on your website trying to make their purchases. Over four in ten state ease of website navigation was a major influence on their online shopping preferences, with a third also wanting fast and easy checkout
The good news is that if you’ve not UX tested your website, we can help! For the majority that have though, remember the rule of minimum click numbers to complete the purchase. Also think about your payment options, and consider adding BNPL options to provide further choices for customers, alongside debit, credit and Apple Pay / Google Pay.
5. Don’t forget the quality-price axis
Of course, all of the things above are important considerations. But the real winners this Christmas will offer the best quality products at the best price. The value conundrum trumps all else. Almost two-thirds of consumers cite lowest prices as an important factor in where they’ll shop online this Christmas, with over half also wanting the best quality products. This is especially true at Christmas. After all, who wants to be seen as ‘cheap’ at this time of year.
Having the product that people want, at the right price, remains key to Christmas success. Make sure you do this before attempting anything else!
And there you have it. All your tips in one place. No need to check back for a ’12 days of online shopping’ series. No need to open 24 virtual advent calendar doors. Just savvy, confident and real tips for your Christmas retail wishes come true!