Last year’s holiday shopping trends were notable and could help retailers adjust their strategies for the 2015 holiday season, according to Think with Google. They provided five trends from 2014 that could help make a difference in planning for the 2015 holiday rush.
First, 2014 was the most connected holiday shopping season on record, with 78 percent of shoppers using the internet for holiday research and 40 percent of holiday shopping occurring online.
Second, shoppers did a majority of shopping on their smartphones, with nearly $1 trillion (28 percent) of all retail sales influenced by shopping-related mobile searches, and 53 percent of online purchases completed via smartphones or tablets.
Third, the holiday shopping spree started early last year, with one quarter of consumers starting their purchases before Halloween and 48 percent completing the majority of their shopping on or before Cyber Monday.
Fourth, 2014 marked the scramble for brand loyalties, as consumers indicated that they were open to change, looking for new stores and new brands for their holiday purchases, often in search of better deals. In fact, over half of respondents reported that they were open to buying from a new retailer, while 41 percent actually made purchases from a new retailer, according to the January 2015 Ipsos MediaCT Google Post Holiday Shopping Intentions Study.
And finally, peers were the biggest influencers in video, with peer reviews on YouTube holding more sway with consumers than those from experts. Eight out of 10 individuals who watched online videos to help with holiday shopping watched product reviews and ratings, with 68 percent preferring peer product videos, while only 45 percent preferred videos from experts.
So what do these trends mean for 2015?
Retailers need to be ready for earlier, more product-savvy shoppers and be ready to provide offers that will entice them to shift brands and shop online and with smart devices quickly and conveniently.
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