Tis the season to be online
The retail process has been evolving for some-time as consumers have moved away from store visits and long queues to the ease of online shopping. Then along came Covid-19 which accelerated this evolution ten-fold.
According to Google insights, here are some of the key trends we can expect as we head towards the festive season
People will discover and buy online even more
While some people will certainly still head to malls for their festive shopping to experience the mood and festivities of the season, this year we can certainly expect more consumers doing their festive shopping online. Research indicates that almost 63% of South African plan to shop online this year and 80% say they would browse for gift ideas online as opposed to in-store.
What this means for retailers is clear – you need to be discoverable online and start optimising your presence now.
Let’s get local
With the local economy hard hit by Covid-19, 74% of South African shoppers are planning to support local small businesses this year. Gear up by ensuring shoppers have the right information about products available at your store, operation hours, and health and safety policies with tools like Local campaigns to reach people near your stores, across different locations.
Shopping Safe
Naturally, safety will remain a concern for consumers as the possibility of contracting Covid-19 remains a reality. When shoppers do decide to shop in-store contactless processes are key. Echoing this sentiment is the fact that 67% of South African shoppers say that they will far rather shop at stores that can facilitate contactless shopping and payment.
Shopping safely also means that people want to avoid the crowds – which means better planning. Research shows that 70% of shoppers will be shopping earlier than usual to avoid the rush with 80% insisting they plan better and consolidate their shopping trips to avoid too many back and forth to the store.
Since online and in-store traffic is sure to fluctuate, retailers should ensure digital strategies remain agile to meet customers where and when they feel comfortable. With SearchKings™ machine learning tools we can develop campaigns that push users to visit your store’s physical locations.
To support customers this festive season streamlining our digital processes is critical. Customers are going to be prioritising safety with a digital-first mindset – and we need to meet them there.
Is your business ready to handle the expected increase in digital traffic over the upcoming festive season? Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like to dominate online and gear up for a busy festive season online.
Additionally, consider bolstering your marketing efforts this festive season with the inclusion of Outdoor billboard advertising.
