Did you know that there are two additional days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year? Tricia Duryee revealed that experts at Citi Research say this could be the reason why online sales are expected to grow by 20 percent in the 2012 Holiday Season.
As E-Commerce sites improve virtual in-store experiences, and site navigation and check out become simply more convenient, consumer spending will continue to shift online. A snowy winter could also help E-Commerce see significant gains this long holiday season.
Citi’s report states although “mobile and social will likely grab headlines this season, retailers should concentrate on their ‘core technologies,’ namely e-commerce nuts and bolts, and strategies that integrate their traditional stores [with online ordering and in-store pick-up].” Duryee concludes headlines and the number of consumers shifting their behavior to mobile and social have not yet impressed investors.
Mobile
Forrester Research data shows Smartphones are expected to account for 3 percent of e-commerce this year
Social
Monetate is expecting Pinterest to surpass both Facebook and Twitter this holiday season, making up over 60 percent of the social traffic to retailers.
Advice for Multi-Channel Retailers
Keep your customers happy in stores and online by following Citi’s biggest advice, “Provide as many choices to consumers as possible”.