With more shoppers continuing to shift their purchasing online, the 2016 Holiday and Christmas season is poised to be the biggest in eCommerce history. Our Holiday 2016 microsite compiles everything you need to know, from the best-selling products on Amazon through to predictions on what to expect for this year’s holiday season. Read what the experts have to say about this year’s biggest trends.
“This will be the first real mobile holiday season. According to a recent Nielsen survey, nearly half of older millennials are now buying on their phones at least once per week. With the digital shelf in our hands, the best holiday gift is always a swipe away. This means that retailers have never had more opportunity to get on consumers’ holiday shopping lists. But, to win at the swipeable shelf, they need to personalize their engagement with consumers in their digital moments.”
Jordan Rost, VP Consumer Insights, Nielsen @Jordanrost
“The most significant trends will be in three key areas: (1) the focus on data-driven targeting will lead consumers to find products faster and buy them to ensure they are able to get the item before it goes out of stock; (2) detailed attention to supply chain invention and direct-to-consumer initiatives will continue to be top of mind – companies that can win in supply chain will be the enabler for long term eCommerce growth and leadership; and (3) content will continue to influence search engine optimization and the ability to engage the consumer in a one screen world, especially where mobile continues to be the preference.”
Neil Ackerman, Director, Global eCommerce, Mondelez International @Ackatak
“While Black Friday once marked the official beginning of the holiday season, retailers are increasingly merchandising and promoting giftable items as early as October. Many shoppers still wait until the last minute, but some retailers are already trying to lock in sales with shoppers that start their shopping early. Of course, everyone will be watching which items Amazon promotes and how competitive its prices will be. But what really makes Amazon such a force is that it competes asymmetrically. Amazon won’t just promote individual items, it will promote sticky programs and products that lock shoppers into its ecosystem.”
Keith Anderson, Senior Vice President Strategy & Insights, Profitero @KeithAnderson
“It’s 5pm on Christmas Eve and you have completely forgotten to buy a present for grandmother. Fear not! Expect retailers to dive head first into partnerships with last mile on-demand delivery platforms such as Uber, Instacart, Shopwings, Postmates, Task Rabbit, and many others. This extra capacity will bolster their owned delivery network – pushing the boundaries of how late they can accept orders before Christmas morning. Retailers that can truly help drive value to their shoppers by removing some mental stress will see themselves separate from the pack.”
Stephen Mader, Global eCommerce Centre of Excellence, LEGO @StephenMader
“From an Amazon perspective, I think the most significant change and trend will be the focus on voice offers. We saw a sneak peak during Prime Week with the majority of voice offers on Amazon’s own products: incredible deals that were gone fast. I predict we’ll see more exclusive Alexa voice offers across more categories during Q4 which will ultimately help Amazon get the Alexa into more homes.”
Melissa Burdick, Vice President eCommerce, The Mars Agency @Marsagency
Visit our Holiday 2016 microsite for all the latest eCommerce data and insight for the holiday season.