November 21, 2017
The holiday season is here and with Black Friday around the corner, retailers are getting ready for the annual stampede of shoppers. Stocking up for in-store sales is one thing, but given the value of omnichannel sales, extending readiness to your holiday ecommerce strategy is of equal importance.
According to eMarketer, ecommerce sales projections will account for 11.5% of holiday sales in the U.S. alone, and sales made in November and December total 23.6% of the entire year’s ecommerce sales. Ecommerce sales have been on an upward trajectory since 2014, whereas retail sales have fluctuated, but overall continued to decrease year over year. The delta continues to grow for ecommerce and in-store sales, and this year is no different.
A New Era of Consumer Expectations
Retail brick and mortar and ecommerce growth trends create a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs, small businesses and mid-large enterprises. With unemployment rates low and consumer confidence high, the economic environment is ripe to implement an omnichannel experience and motivate more sales. Consumers are demanding options — particularly ones that are easy and immediate. By leveraging brick-and-mortar, ecommerce and mobile commerce sales to offer an endless-aisle experience, you can create the seamless and on-demand shopping experience that consumers want. As with anything new, the novelty will wear off and it will quickly become an expectation, so timing is of the essence in enabling a seamless omnichannel experience. Implement an omnichannel experience now, and win over customers before your competition figures it out.
Don’t Forget about Payments!
Personally, my least favorite part of shopping is checking out. The lines, slow or broken Point of Sale (POS) systems, waiting for gift wrapping, poor customer service…these inconveniences often deter me from in-store shopping.
Shopping online lets me avoid most of these things, but checking out can still be painful, if the process is too long or the page design is complicated and hard to follow. If customers are ready to purchase, but abandon a potential sale because of the payment process, something is wrong with your checkout experience.
Fortunately, fixing the checkout process is fairly straightforward.
Investing in a high-efficiency POS system, an ecommerce platform and an in-store ecommerce system such as an interactive kiosk are good ways to improve your customer experience and make sure sales are finalized.
Our platform empowers you to take charge of your brand and increase sales this Holiday Season and beyond. Contact us today to help you create a better experience and satisfy your customers expectations.