With a shorter holiday shopping season this year, the pressure is on retailers to make their numbers. After all, 20-40% of a retailer’s revenue is generated between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this year, there are six fewer days to earn those sales. Retailers are stepping up their games and pulling every trick out of the hat. Beyond the extension of “Cyber Monday” to a full “Cyber Week,” etailer 1-800-PetMeds has drawn out the shopping period an entire month with its “Black November” initiative. Land of Nod is trying to capitalize on Hanukkah’s early arrival, promoting whale menorahs and plush dreidels in a recent email.
While retailers may not need to go to these measures, it is critically important to maximize the impact of holiday campaigns this year. Deloitte’s Annual Holiday Survey revealed that, for the first time, online will be the primary shopping channel, so retailers must focus as much on their online experience as their in-store experience. And since online also encompasses mobile, retailers must ensure they are meeting expectations with brand experiences across devices. Consumers expect to be able to interact with retailers in social, video, display and mobile as they follow their path to purchase.
With the number of shopping channels expanding, omnichannel shoppers factor in significantly this season. According to Deloitte, the omnichannel shoppers intend to spend 76 percent more this holiday season than those who shop brick-and-mortar stores. If retailers want to capture this audience, it’s imperative to reach across screens and channels – and to execute in a way that feels seamless to the consumer. There are a few retailers leading the pack today.
Macy’s is an example of a retailer that is focusing heavily on omnichannel and reaping the benefits. The retailer still recognizes the importance of the in-store experience, but is paying equal attention to merchandising online. RIS reports that Macy’s has also invested in improvements in its web and mobile sites to “make shopping easier and faster, adopting digital marketing technologies that leverage a 360-degree view of customer shopping behavior, and collaborating on merchandising strategies across all channels.”
Target is also embracing all channels this holiday season, with its “My Kind of Holiday” campaign, which will cross channels including broadcast, radio, in-store, catalogs, digital and social media. The campaign incorporates both Twitter hashtags (#MyKindOfHoliday) and Pinterest boards.
“‘My Kind of Holiday’ was inspired by guests’ stories about holiday traditions and the unique and personal ways they celebrate throughout the season,” said Jeff Jones, chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Target. “This campaign will inspire people with products and ideas, compel them with unbeatable prices and enable them to shop Target through the most digitally-enabled effort in our history.” Target is also promoting its mobile Cartwheel savings app, in addition to offering in-store pickup for online purchases.
At the same time, etailers like Fancy and eBay are attempting to mimic the brick-and mortar experience with same-day delivery in time for the holidays. The delayed gratification of ordering online and then waiting for delivery has long a drawback for etailers at holiday time. With same-day delivery, shoppers are able to enjoy purchases sooner, and etailers can keep pace with their brick-and-mortar competition.
With the omnichannel consumer on the rise, retailers need to keep pace across all digital channels and screens. With so much riding on a successful holiday season – and in less time, marketers need a single view of their consumers to understand who is seeing and engaging with their messages, when, and what’s driving conversion.
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