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LATEST CONTENT

Solving the Peak Inventory Puzzle with Real-Time Visibility
October 13, 2021 - We look at a few of the reasons inventory prediction can go
awry during peak season and dig into the benefits of an omnichannel OMS.
Omnichannel Payment Processing: The Next Phase of the Customer Experience
October 11, 2021 - We discuss retailers’ current omnichannel pain points and
highlighted some solutions and technologies that can help.


5 HOLIDAY SHOPPING PREDICTIONS FOR 2021


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Description: 

As retailers, predicting the future is part of the job description. You need to
know what your customers want before they want it. And you have to be able to
see trends and spot pitfalls before they happen. Otherwise, you can wind up with
heaps of dead inventory and major financial issues.  

Now that we’re headed into the busiest time of year, it’s time to take a look
into the metaphorical crystal ball. Here are our top 5 holiday shopping
predictions for 2021. 

Holiday Shopping Will Start Sooner 

The 2020 peak season was strange for many reasons, but the most notable one was
the early start. Come mid-October, businesses were already rolling out “Black
Friday” deals, many of which occurred on a weekly basis throughout October and
November. And Cyber Monday stretched into an entire week, rather than occupying
its traditional, single-day slot on the Monday after Thanksgiving. 

Given the roaring success of the change, this trend will likely stick around
this year as well. More businesses will jump on the early deals bandwagon and
customers will get their shopping done earlier to beat the crowds and shipping
delays common to the holiday season.  

Shoppers Will Keep Using BOPIS 

Last year, concerns about health and safety forced many retailers to offer
click-and-collect options like BOPIS and curbside pickup. But surprisingly, even
with lockdowns being lifted, the trend hasn’t decreased in popularity. In fact,
according to Statista, the YOY growth rate for click-and-collect will be upward
of 10% this year.¹   

At the same time, the National Retail Federation found that BOPIS improved the
customer experience for 70% of surveyed consumers by increasing convenience.²
And given that 90% of those surveyed customers are more likely to choose a
retailer based on convenience, it should come as no surprise that BOPIS and
BOPAC will be game-changers this upcoming peak season.  

Shoppers Want Free Shipping 

Who doesn’t like free stuff? And more importantly, what customer wants to pay
more money to ship a product they’ve already purchased? 

The short answer: no one.  

As big eCommerce brands like Amazon continue to offer free shipping to their
Prime members, consumers are getting more and more attached to the “free
shipping” label. As a result, when resellers, wholesalers, boutiques, and
omnichannel retailers slap a $10, $20, or even $30 shipping fee onto their order
total, customers are likely to abandon their carts. 

Heading into the 2021 peak season, it will be important for retailers and
eCommerce brands to find ways to lower that shipping cost to zero, even if it
requires price hikes for individual products or subscription memberships.   

Shoppers Want Free & Easy Returns 

If there’s a list for eCommerce predictions that are virtually guaranteed to
come to fruition, the annual surge of peak season returns should be on it. Every
year like clockwork, customers flood stores eager to return or exchange
products. Customer service representatives field thousands of phone calls and
messages a day. And fulfillment centers and warehouses bog down with the influx
of returned orders.  

But one thing that isn’t guaranteed is the ease and expense of the returns
process. In some cases, it’s effortless and free, and in others, it’s
excruciating for everyone involved.  

Since the push for convenience is permeating every aspect of the customer
experience, businesses will need to make sure their return process falls into
the former category this peak season. Otherwise, they run the risk of losing
customers soon after the New Years’ fireworks end. 

Shoppers Will Embrace Mobile Commerce 

Every year, it seems we can’t get any more attached to our smartphones. But as
online experiences improve and apps expand their functionality, we’re still
finding new ways to use them.  

According to Business Insider, mobile commerce (m-commerce) is predicted to
account for 36% of all eCommerce sales this year.³ And currently, mobile apps
are converting customers 157% more often than mobile website counterparts.⁴

What does that mean for retailers and eCommerce businesses in 2021? Simply that
mobile commerce needs to be at the heart of your peak season strategy.
Everything from your marketing to your website, product catalog, and customer
support should be accessible and user-friendly on mobile devices.  

Holiday shopping in 2021 is gearing up to be an exciting if somewhat familiar
season. As you’ve probably noticed, a lot of these trends kicked off with the
pandemic last year or have been coming down the pipeline for quite some time.
However, by working early sales into your game plan and enabling your customers
to shop from their mobile devices, ship and return orders for free, and pick up
products at the curb – you’ll be in great shape come October.  

 

Sources:

¹ “Click and collect retail sales growth in the United States from 2018 to
2022*”, Statista, June 2021 
² “Convenience and the Consumer”, National Retail Federation, January 2020 
³ “Rise of M-Commerce: Mobile Ecommerce Shopping Stats & Trends in 2021”,
Business Insider, December 2020 
⁴ “10 Mobile Commerce Trends That Will Dominate 2021”, Buildfire, January 2021 






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