Three Steps Retailers Can Take To Help Ready Themselves For The

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Preparing Ecommerce Strategies For The Holiday Rush

The average holiday shopper is poised to spend $998 this year per household, which means that retailers need to ready their ecommerce strategies for the holiday rush. If they aren’t up to par, the result could be disastrous.

In fact, one recent study found that retail brands are lagging behind consumer expectations for shopping in today’s mobile age, putting greater pressure on them to boost their ecommerce efforts.  The study found that many industry players are still in the process of mobilizing brands to improve their customer experience.

“While consumers are living in a mobile-first world, the retail industry is stuck in the past. Brands know they must adopt a mobile mindset and incorporate mobile strategies to achieve the full potential of omnichannel commerce, yet few are doing so effectively,” said Stephan Schambach, CEO and founder of NewStore.  

“While technology solutions are readily available, many retailers are either not using them optimally or are still running on antiquated systems and processes. The only way to make omnichannel a reality is through mobile. The retail industry continues to buzz about mobile, but it lags in the implementation of such technologies in every aspect of the customer experience.”

Another recent study found that shopper habits are changing, spreading spending over a longer period of time and taking power away from Black Friday as the biggest day of holiday shopping. Essentially, retailers need to start approaching the holiday season as an evolving one, in which Black Friday may not be the single saving grace that it has been in the past. Shoppers want more flexible, convenient options to fulfill their Christmas wish-lists, and retailers need to be willing to provide them.

So, what can retailers do to make sure they’ve optimized their digital shopping experience?

• Provide high quality product information - Robust product descriptions, high-quality images, and clear return instructions are must-haves for consumers.
• Ensure a consistent experience across channels - As consumers move fluidly across channels to research and shop, retailers must ensure product content is consistent to create a streamlined shopping experience.
• Make sure mobile is up to speed - With 78 percent of consumers expected to use their smartphone during the holiday shopping process, mobile optimized product pages and sites can be the difference between a sale and a lost consumer.

Retailers need to respond to the evolving needs of their customers in order to stay relevant this holiday season. By addressing product information, consistency, and mobile access, they can capitalize on this year’s biggest spenders.