Over the last two years, back to school shopping has gone through a number of changes. According to a report from Google Cloud, 41% began to buy Back to School supplies before school was even out. Looking at this data, it’s not too hard to compare this to the way we’re seeing holiday shopping evolve. In 2021, the biggest month for buying holiday gifts was June. This can be traced back to the pain point from the previous year where customers weren’t receiving their gifts on time because of shipping delays or a shortage of supplies. People wanted to know that they were going to have presents under the tree when their loved ones were actually at home.
2022 Forecasted Trends
We’re still living in the age of the “Omni-Shopper”, customers who make most of their purchases online and are likely doing research and comparing your prices to your competitors. This means that E Commerce is going to be the primary way people are going to be doing their holiday shopping. In addition, according to the same Google Cloud article, just under three quarters of back to school shoppers bought multiple items from the same store to save on shipping. This is a trend we can expect to see carried over to holiday shopping as well.
This year, June is predicted to be the prime month for holiday shopping due to people’s fear of the prices rising each month. That means traditional times for spending, such as Black Friday or December sales, are going to generate lower numbers than in the past.
Online Holiday Shopping How to Meet Your Customers Needs
- If you don’t have everything in-store that you sell – get it online.
- Make sure your business website is mobile friendly for online shopping.
- Promote multiple items someone could buy to keep their shipping down.
- Allow people to make wish lists so they can budget for big items.
How to Prepare Your Business
When it comes to catering to your customers, be careful of FREE shipping, this can really come back to bite you at a company loss. Think of adding points, a discount for multiple items or some type of system that creates loyalty shopping. Also, make sure that your customer service and return systems flow smoothly. If people are unsure about a purchase, a return system can help them feel more confident in whatever they buy.
Expect your customers to research your product and compare them to your competitors. This means that you should provide relevant research and information about your products so they can see why they should buy from your brand instead of another. What’s an easy buy at your store? Is it stocking stuffer ideas? Is it a whole stocking that has different items specific to your shop? Deals and bundles like these not only prevent a company loss, but can help people feel confident in their decision to buy from you.
Following these tips can better help you prepare your business for holiday shopping, no matter how early it comes.