Last year, I predicted that ‘The Busiest Day’ online here in the UK would be Monday 7th December.

Last year, I predicted that ‘The Busiest Day’ online here in the UK would be Monday 7th December.

This indeed proved to be the case and, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, consumers spent a staggering £5.46 billion in December alone - up from £4.67 billion in December 2008.

In fact, the IMRG went one step further, claiming that a massive £1.4 million was spent at 1.43pm on that Monday, also making it the busiest online shopping minute ever!

It would seem that the global downturn had little impact on our Christmas shoppers, with the average spend per person also effectively rising from £76.67 to £88.93, a not insignificant increase.

Nevertheless, Scot Wingo, CEO of ChannelAdvisor, believes that consumers will still be looking for bargains online - and through a variety of different channels.

Indeed, Jon Parry, principal retail consultant at Capgemini, says, “An interesting shift during [2009’s] festive period is the strength of the monthly performance for multi-channel retailers [up 13%] versus their pure-play competitors [down 8%]. This shows both the high value consumers place on a multi-channel proposition…”

With the advent of mobile commerce (helped by the rise in smartphones, adoption of applications such as RedLaser and the comparison shopping engines launching their own mobile apps), consumers can now shop round the clock - and in virtually any location.

This point is highlighted by Wingo, who adds, “Using a smartphone and a comparison shopping application, you’re able to get the best price possible. These kinds of applications will alert you as to other retailers nearby that have the item in stock and the price. They also inform you if the item is available on Amazon, eBay or elsewhere online. You can also use the app in the store and find a lower price right then and there.”

With that in mind, here’s a quick checklist for ChannelAdvisor clients and retailers alike to optimise that holiday season traffic:

1. Ensure product visibility (eBay, Amazon, comparison engines)

2. Be competitive (keen prices, good images, stock levels visible, quick-loading pages)

3. Be credible (add product- and customer reviews - Google will also pick up those reviews, and list you higher in the search pages)

Simon Besley, ChannelAdvisor Key Account Manager

 

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