Retailers adapt to new shopping landscape as Christmas looms large

Bazaarvoice, a provider of product reviews and user-generated content, has flagged up trends for the 2020 winter holiday season to help retailers plan for the final quarter as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to be felt.

Its study, based on the company’s network of more than 6,200 brands and retailer sites, found that 85% of retailers believe online sales will increase this holiday season compared to last, with 61% expecting higher engagement and/or purchasing through social media channels. Over half of brands and retailers are investing more in e-commerce website upgrades.

Amazon Prime Day will, meanwhile, still mark the beginning of holiday shopping. In last year’s consumer survey, around a fifth of shoppers planned to start their holiday shopping as early as mid-July, around Prime Day.

While this year’s event is reported to be delayed until at least October, it remains a key opportunity for retailers and brands to kick start the festive season as people look for deals and value on other sites too. According to Bazaarvoice network data, which represents shopping activity outside of Amazon, Prime Day 2019 (15th -16th July) saw a 27.05% increase in order count over the typical day.

Suzin Wold, SVP Marketing at Bazaarvoice, comments, “There’s no doubt this Christmas period will be unlike any other, with more online shopping than ever. Retailers must have a holiday specific plan that gives consumers confidence to purchase from them.”

“It’s vital brands ensure their websites offer a seamless shopping experience and make it easy for customers to find the answers they seek through Q&A, reviews and brand response to maximise revenue opportunities.”