2020 proved to be a trial by fire for many retailers. Most countries were headed for a second or even a third lockdown, forcing many customers to experience their first Black Friday and Christmas shopping fully online. Holiday eCommerce sales exceeded $118 billion, which was equal to two years’ growth and an increase of 33% over 2019. Retailers with businesses online had to rush to top customers’ expectations.
Fast-forward to 2021, after one year of working hard to add new features and prepare every team for the high season. Will the number be as impressive as in 2020? We will answer that question, and list what retailers can expect for the 2021 holiday season.
Some Customers Are Not Ready to Order From Physical Stores
People who used to feel uneasy about shopping online probably changed their standards last year. Buying online is not rocket science after all. To top it off, not everyone is fine with going to physical stores again.
Consumers can be cautious about going to busy retail stores. Therefore, they might opt to go through every step of their customer journey online. Brick and mortar retailers must work hard on their safety measures if they want to attract more consumers this year!
Shopping Online Is Convenient but Demands Planning
After visiting a store and checking for the product’s quality, or, if that’s the case, trying it on, it is easy to decide on whether you should buy an item or not. When shopping online, even with a complete description, it is slightly harder to get fully convinced about the quality. Moreover, for clothes and shoes in general, we can sometimes get the wrong size.
In other words, shopping online involves planning ahead. Consumers need time to confirm if the product ordered looks indeed like what they expected. And if it is the case, they need enough time to return it and order their second option.
Spreading out the holiday season has its benefits for both consumers and retailers. From the retailers’ perspective, retailers can foretell the demand for distinct items as the holiday season unfolds. Therefore, they gain the ability to be more responsive.
Customers, on their side, don’t need to rush. The chances are higher they can find items that are usually quickly sold out during the holiday season.
Convenience Rocks – And Customers Love It
Shopping online is, at most times, a delightful experience. It is just easy and convenient to browse an eCommerce website, even during a busy week for the consumer. Placing an order is just a click away, so as it is so convenient to customers, the more you improve the user experience, the better!
LivePerson, an AI messaging platform, published a survey showing what customers are eagerly awaiting to find during their shopping experience:
- Virtual showrooms (45%)
- Augmented/virtual reality tools (44%)
- Video consultations with personal shoppers (29%)
Improving digital solutions is definitely a priority for businesses willing to step up during the holiday season. It’s also important to provide tools able to help your customer support agents to deliver the best performance. How about offering real-time support with Live Chat? We got everything you need to start as soon as possible!
