The holiday shopping season is typically the busiest and most profitable time for many retail businesses. From Halloween to New Year’s Eve is when most E-commerce stores make half or more of their annual revenue. It is therefore crucial that retailers start planning now as we could be facing a very different peak period this year. 2020 has been unprecedented in many ways but here is how your E-commerce business can properly prepare for high season.

Note the key dates 

The first step in properly planning for peak season is to know what dates you are planning for. Festivities kick off on Halloween (October 31st) and the Christmas rush soon follows after. While Halloween is not a key Christmas shopping date, if your products align with the celebrations (think make-up, home decor or fashion) then this is the perfect time to kick your marketing and seasonal discounts into high gear. The same applies to Thanksgiving (26 November) while not directly relevant to UK brands and consumers, if your business has customers across the pond you may want to factor it into your plan of action.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday haven’t always been significant in the UK, however, in recent years the last week of November has been gaining an increasing foothold outside of the United States. The growing trend is making November a much more important month for consumer spending in general. Rapid E-commerce adoption in 2020 means that for Cyber Monday discounts will be more compelling than in previous years. To stay competitive opt for category-specific sales, have a promotional strategy and optimize your site performance. If you require responsive, user-friendly web design or an innovative, cost-effective marketing plan get in touch today. At Strive Digital, we can work quickly to ensure you are all set to take advantage of the extended shopping period.

Stay Competitive

Peak shopping season comes to a head from Christmas Day right through to New Year’s Eve. In the UK Boxing Day is when businesses would typically offer their biggest discounts. This is prime time to boost sales and attract new customers for the year ahead, however as competition will be fierce, brands need to shift to smarter discounting. By personalising, revising and implementing more precise offers in real-time, your business is more likely to survive uncertainty and thrive in 2021. For help in protecting your profitability, planning intelligent discounting and optimization reach out to our team of creative and technical problem solvers.

Be Prepared to Scale

Shopping habits have permanently changed in lockdown. Since COVID 19 began there has been a 94% growth in online shopping resulting in a long term shift in consumer behaviour. Two-thirds of adults now say they will continue their current levels of digital spend (66%) while 26% said they would increase their level of spending online even once the restrictions are lifted. We are now entering a new era for retailers, so E-Commerce stores need to be prepared to scale if they are to succeed. Invest in scalable technologies to prepare for spikes in online business and hone your supply chain ahead of time. Take the time now to identify potential inventory problems and obstacles to conversion so that you can leverage this shift in consumer spending.

Targeted Campaigns

Many E-commerce stores now drop snippets of their sales long before Black Friday. To prevent a frenzy come November, start building your campaigns now. Use social media, email platforms and social advertising to your advantage. Offer teasers, early access, price alerts and push notifications to keep customers interested. Aim to be consistent and develop your multi-channel offerings to ensure that you are creating a genuinely helpful experience for your customers. Lastly, don’t neglect your post-purchase marketing, this will help with customer retention going into 2021. Now schedule and sit back and relax as the hard is done.

As the country emerges from lockdown, customers will remember the brands that provided a seamless shopping experience and sought to create a real connection with their communities. No matter what your E-commerce store sells, there are always opportunities for stabilisation and growth, even in a pandemic. Don’t be afraid to speak to your customers directly, ask them what they would like to see from your store and work to fulfil their expectations. For a smarter, more personalised marketing strategy this holiday season browse our range of social media and web services today.