Ecommerce to dominate 2020 holiday shopping season says ChannelAdvisor survey
The holiday shopping season will be very different this year. Data from ChannelAdvisor’s nationwide surveyOpens a new window indicates that there will be a significant shift in shopping behavior among consumers across all age groups.
With safety being a top of mind concern, ecommerce is expected to be the dominant channel of choice for shoppers. According to the survey, 52% of respondents indicated that they expect to shop online more than they did before the pandemic. This is a 14% increase since April 2020, where only 38% of the respondents had said they would prefer online shopping.
Also read: Holiday Shopping Predictions 2020: Consumers Will Spend 1B Hours on Mobile
While Black Friday lines are unlikely to disappear, consumers are expected to start shopping earlier this holiday season, with 59% saying they’ll start shopping online before November 1. However, consumers looking to skip the queues will have to contend with longer delivery times and delays. 47% of consumers said that they are concerned that brands and retailers won’t be able to deliver packages to them on time this holiday season. At the same time, an overwhelming majority of shoppers (78%) said they are willing to wait longer for the delivery of their packages due to logistical shipping delays.
Despite a difficult summer where we saw high unemployment and economic anxiety, online shopping is expected to help brands recapture some lost growth. Interestingly, the survey found that 79% of the consumers had shopped at a physical store since reopening, excluding grocery and supermarkets. This could mean that brick-and-mortar sales might pick up later this year. 41% of the consumers said they plan on using ‘buy online, pick up in-store’ option when shopping for non-grocery items this year.
Also read: Fintech To Retailers’ Rescue: Mastercard Builds Solutions for Enhanced Shopping Experience
What Does This Mean for Retailers?
Ecommerce continues to play a larger role in a consumer’s shopping journey, regardless of the point of sale. In particular, many consumers will be checking prices and reading reviews posted on ecommerce channels even if they make a purchase in person.
It is key to note that what consumers are shopping for will often dictate how they buy. In certain key categories, ecommerce will dominate this holiday season.
Brands and retailers will need to drive consumers directly to a preferred ecommerce portal. If this is not an option, they must capture their information with mid-funnel prospecting (this is especially beneficial for consumers who discover items through mobile but feel more comfortable making the final purchase through a desktop or laptop.)
Also read: Online Shopping Boosts Hiring Spree: Tesco to Create 16,000 Permanent Jobs
Location-based targeting and advertising can and should be deployed this holiday season. Consumers are still likely to be out and about, and location targeting can ensure that they know where the nearest relevant shopping option is located and that the right people are exposed to marketing messaging.
The call to action in a mobile in-app ads, for example, should highlight in-person shopping experience and can include maps or coupons that can only be used in-store. This can be especially fruitful when marketing stocking stuffers or other smaller purchase items (i.e. the kinds of things consumers are most likely to buy in person).
When it comes to messaging, bridging the gap from online to in-person shopping is important. Highlight convenience, availability, and other key in-person shopping motivators – especially for the shoppers that engage online before buying in-store.
There you have it. We hope you have a very successful holiday shopping season!