Part1: 2016 Holiday Trends – Top Online Shopping Days by Category

This holiday season is expected to be the biggest in eCommerce history with eMarketer estimating sales from the online channel will surpass 10% of the total U.S. holiday retail sales.

Consumers are increasingly leveraging the eCommerce channel for both the convenience and assortment it delivers, and are beginning to take full advantage of the online opportunity.  

So how can brands and retailers maximize success? Understanding trends from last year’s holiday season, as well as identifying predictions and the hottest products for this upcoming season, are critical factors for success.

Best Online Shopping Days by Category

With value for money continuing to be a top concern for many consumers – and with Black Friday just around the corner – we looked at Adobe Digital’s 2016 Holiday Shopping Predictions for the key online shopping days, by category, based on low prices and product availability:

November 22:

• Apparel (Save 20%)

November 24 – Thanksgiving

• Appliances (Save 10%)
• Computers (Save 13%)
• Jewelry (Save 10%)
• Sporting Goods (Save 14%)
• Tablets (Save 18%)
• Televisions (Save 20%)

November 25 – Black Friday 

• Christmas Décor (Save 25%)

November 28 – Cyber Monday

• Toys (Save 13%)

November 29 – Giving Tuesday 

• Furniture & Bedding (Save 10%)

Prevalent Out-Of-Stock Days by Category

With the holiday season driving demand for the hottest products, retailers and brands alike need to ensure they are not missing out on potential sales due to a product simply not being available when the consumer wants to make a purchase. Identifying where the gaps are in your product assortment is critical to success in an increasingly competitive environment – where the shopper is more in control than ever before.

Here are the Predictions for this 2016 holiday season on out-of-stock availability by category, highlighted by Adobe Digital:

November 19:

• Appliances

November 22:

• Tablets
• Televisions

November 24 – Thanksgiving:

• Computers
• Sporting Goods
• Toys

November 25 – Black Friday

• Apparel
• Christmas Décor
• Furniture & Bedding

November 28 – Cyber Monday:

• Jewelry

Learning how to analyze product assortment is vital to any company selling online. Understanding the overlap in assortment versus the competition, as well as identifying products that competitors may carry exclusively, will help with picking online stock. Analyzing the architecture within a category from a pricing perspective so you can see how your own range compares to competitors at different price bands will shed light on opportunities to carry products at higher or lower prices.

According to Profitero’s latest Amazon FastMovers reports, here are some products that are set to stand out online this holiday season:

Small Appliances:

• US
  • Keurig K55 Coffee Maker
  • Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker
  • KitchenIQ 50009 Edge Grip 2 Stage Knife Sharpener
• UK
  • UniBond Aero 360 Moisture Absorber Refills, Pack of 2
  • Miele HyClean GN 3D Efficiency Dustbags
  • Breville VBL062 Blend Active Personal Blender

Electronics

• US 
  • Amazon Fire TV Stick
  • Fujifilm INSTAX Mini Instant Film Twin Pack (White)
  • Amazon Echo – Black
• UK
  • Amazon Fire TV Stick
  • Lightning Cable Syncwire Apple iPhone Charger
  • Duracell MN 1500 Plus Power AA Size Batteries–Pack 24

Toys & Games

• US
  • Cards Against Humanity
  • Cards Against Humanity: First Expansion
  • Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Sensory Teether Activity Toy
• UK
  • Cards Against Humanity: UK edition
  • Dobble Card Game
  • Hasbro Pie Face Game

Visit Profitero’s Holiday 2016 microsite for the latest eCommerce data, predictions, and insight for the holiday season.