[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title meta=”off” featured_placement=”background” text_background=”on” text_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.81)” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” text_orientation=”center” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_post_title][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Ready, set, shop! Or, if you\u2019re a\u00a0merchant: Sell!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s November, which means it\u2019s holiday shopping season and 30% to 40% of a retail business\u2019s annual profits are\u00a0likely\u00a0going\u00a0to be made in the next 60 days. No matter how prepared merchants are for the holiday onslaught, there are some last-minute ways to capitalize on the Black Friday, Small Business Saturday\u00a0and\u00a0Cyber Monday madness.<\/p>\n
No matter what\u00a0your\u00a0market, this holiday shopping season stands to be one of the\u00a0best ever. Consider that since 2009, when the shopping economy posted a minimal gain of .2% following\u00a0the nearly 5%\u00a0decline\u00a0of\u00a0the Great Recession,\u00a0retail sales have posted year-to-year gains ranging from 2.6% to 5.2%.\u00a0The National Retail Federation says\u00a0Americans spent nearly $682 billion or an average of just over $967 per shopper\u00a0last year, which means merchants are in for a happy holiday season.<\/p>\n
Thanks to marketing geniuses\u00a0who\u00a0organized the\u00a0Thanksgiving parades \u2013 Macy\u2019s in\u00a0New York City\u00a0(1924)\u00a0and Eaton\u2019s in Toronto, Canada\u00a0(1905)\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0appearance\u00a0of Santa\u00a0in those parades\u00a0established\u00a0the\u00a0fourth\u00a0Friday of November\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0start of\u00a0the\u00a0holiday shopping\u00a0season and would later become known as Black Friday.<\/p>\n
The other days in the Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday\u00a0shopping weekend\u00a0are a bit more contemporary. Cyber Monday was named by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation in 2005 in response to the growth of online shopping. Small Business (SMB) Saturday, which encourages shoppers to patronize independent brick-and-mortar merchants, was started by American Express in 2010 in response to the Black Friday success of big-box stores.\u00a0eMarketer\u00a0reports that the Thanksgiving weekend combination of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday accounted for nearly 18% of all holiday shopping last year.<\/p>\n
U.S. Shoppers spent $7.9 billion on Black Friday alone in 2017. Cyber Monday added another $6.6 billion and was the single largest e-commerce day last year. And even though Small Business Saturday sales were down slightly from 2016, it still added $12.9 billion to the coffers of independent merchants.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew going in that retailers were going to have a good holiday season, but the results are even better than anything we could have hoped for, especially given the misleading headlines of the past year,\u201d NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said\u00a0earlier this year. \u201cWhether they shopped in-store, online or on their phones, consumers were in the mood to spend, and retailers were there to offer them good value for their money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Experts expect this year to be even better. Deloitte\u2019s annual holiday retail forecast predicts up to $1.1 trillion in sales from November to January which would be close to a 5.6% jump from 2017. The report says e-commerce holiday sales alone will grow around 22% this year.<\/p>\n
Some major retailers are pushing back this year against the holiday shopping creep \u2013 the incremental advancement of Black Friday sales to Thanksgiving Day openings \u2013 with more than 60 already announcing they won\u2019t be open on the holiday. That seems to be OK with most Americans, too. BestBlackFriday.com\u2019s Sept. 30 survey shows that only 24.7% of them like shopping on\u00a0Thanksgiving Day while 47.7% dislike\u00a0the holiday store openings.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Get a Piece” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
With all that money in play, savvy merchants today don\u2019t put all their gifts in one holiday basket. Even though the number of people braving the Black Friday crowds fell about 4% in 2017, close to 137 million still hit the retail bricks over the weekend,\u00a0which is close to 30% more than 2015. And with 85% of holiday sales taking place in brick-and-mortar stores last year, it\u2019s evident having both attractive online sales and engaging in-store shopping experiences is more important than ever.<\/p>\n
The most recent survey – 2018 City Retail Services Study – says nearly three-quarters of shoppers plan to purchase gifts in a brick-and-mortar store this season.<\/p>\n
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However, next-gen shoppers also said were planning to shop:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”on a computer” number=”57″ bar_bg_color=”#cc6633″ _builder_version=”4.16″ max_width=”180px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_circle_counter][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”on a mobile device” number=”42″ bar_bg_color=”#cc6633″ _builder_version=”4.16″ max_width=”180px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_circle_counter][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”through a virtual assistant” number=”13″ bar_bg_color=”#cc6633″ _builder_version=”4.16″ max_width=”180px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_circle_counter][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Get a Piece” _builder_version=”4.16″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Source: 2018 Citi Retail Services Study<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Get a Piece” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cOmnichannel\u201d is the\u00a0popular buzzword\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0all-encompassing sales approach that includes\u00a0online and in-store\u00a0efforts.\u00a0Combining marketing, sales and customer management into a single,\u00a0unified effort\u00a0has been\u00a0steadily\u00a0gaining traction\u00a0for years. More than 60% of retailers displayed in-store merchandise on their websites last year, a 25% increase over 2016.<\/p>\n That \u201comnichannel\u201d effort can be made simpler through streamlining businesses processes in a digital business platform. Comprehensive systems incorporate features and integrations that simplify inventory management, customer service and relations, digital marketing and outreach, and back office operations.<\/p>\n \u201cStores need to embrace new ideas and all technology offers. Merchants need to create a strong digital image for their stores including customer loyalty programs, geofencing marketing efforts, automated customer satisfaction surveys, mobile-friendly e-commerce customer portals, digital advertising, and strong, secure in-store Wi-Fi,\u201d says Dan Nesmith, president of Paladin Data Corp, which develops and provides digital business platforms. \u201cConsumers expect more from merchants today. Due in part to the evolution of retail, which now offers more personalized choices from e-commerce companies, shoppers want similar features from their neighborhood stores.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Holiday Selling Checklist” _builder_version=”4.16″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n There are some easy ways for merchants to make sure Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are the most wonderful days of the year. Personal service is the realm where brick-and-mortar stores rules. E-commerce sites can make all the automated search engine \u201csuggestions\u201d they want, but shoppers respond to engaging shopping experience<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and customer service representatives who have personal experience with the products they\u2019re selling. Make sure your seasonal employees are well-trained in your product line.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Emphasize immediate gratification.” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” admin_label=”Emphasize immediate gratification.” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cBrick<\/span><\/span>–<\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span>–<\/span><\/span>mortar stores in smaller cities and towns still have convenience on their side. Remember that even with Amazon Prime, free shipping still takes two days,\u201d says Deborah Sweeney, CEO at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>MyCorporation<\/span><\/span>.com which advises independent retailers. Google says product searches with the terms \u201cnear me,\u201d \u201ccan I buy\u201d or \u201cto buy\u201d have grown over 500% over the past two years, giving evidence to the sound health of brick-and-mortar retail.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Stock up on gift cards. ” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” admin_label=”Stock up on gift cards. ” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The National Retail Federation found in 2017 that 6 in 10 consumers hoped to receive gift cards at Christmas, and gift-givers planned on buying an average of four cards worth roughly $45 each to spread their holiday cheer. Total gift card spending was expected to reach more than $27 billion.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Click and collect.” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” admin_label=”Click and collect.” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n An easy way to both attract online shoppers and improve in-store sales is to set up a location in your store where your e-commerce shoppers can pick up their merchandise. According to the\u00a0\u00a0\u201cFuture of Fulfillment Vision Study,\u201d many store owners are adding to or altering their stores to serve as fulfillment centers for people who order products online.<\/p>\n The service is also paying dividends for in-store sales. \u201cThe Rise of the Click and Collect\u00a0Superconsumer,\u201d a study by\u00a0OrderDynamics, says 51% of people who click\u00a0and\u00a0collect make unplanned purchases when they pick up their orders, spending, on average, an extra $40 per trip.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Payment preparation.” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” admin_label=”Payment preparation.” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Double check your website to make sure it can handle holiday traffic. Also make sure your e-commerce <\/span><\/span>and in-store\u00a0<\/span><\/span>payment processes use the most current verification to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>smooth sales transactions and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>avoid fraudulent charges.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Nothing puts the Grinch in holiday shopping like sticky customer checkout<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Go mobile.” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” admin_label=”Go mobile.” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nHoliday\u00a0Selling\u00a0Checklist<\/h2>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”Focus on customer service.” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” admin_label=”Focus on customer service.” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n