As Year-Round ‘Gifting’ Grows in Popularity, Retailers Must Capitalize on Non-Q4 Holiday Shopping Habits

Access the Full Report: Available July 2020

In 2019, eCommerce holiday sales increased by 18% compared to the previous year, USA Today reports. Retailers invest countless resources to prepare for the traditional holiday shopping season and get the most from shoppers’ inherent intent to spend at this particular time of year. But non-traditional holidays like Mother’s Day, tax-free holidays, and even ‘Amazon Prime Day’ are reshaping the retail timeline, pushing retailers to change their seasonal strategies.

“In retail today, the fourth quarter’s importance is greatly overrated,” Forbes explains. “Since 1992 the contribution of the fourth quarter to annual sales has been on the decline, shifting from 32.8% of total sales to 28.9% in 2016.”

Last year, retailers capitalized on seasonal and non-Q4 holiday-shopping events by creating more contextual experiences for customers and streamlining pathways to purchase for gift-worthy items. In fact, “out of the typical gifters’ annual gifting budget, Christmas accounts for slightly less than half of the total,” says Forbes. “The majority of gift purchases are made the rest of the year, according to research by Unity Marketing.”

Strong categories for growth include specialty and niche retail items not traditional found in physical stores. Retailers and marketplaces have an opportunity to emphasize these and other priority categories during key seasonal and non-Q4 holiday occasions, and capitalize on the growing popularity of ‘gifting’ year round. Consequently, retailers can lessen their dependence on traditional Q4-holiday sales to drive annual revenue results.

Q3 2020 Study: Beyond Black Friday: eCommerce Preparedness and Success for Traditional and Non-Traditional Holiday Shopping

In our special 2020 eTail holiday report, we investigate how eCommerce retailers are improving the way they understand seasonal and holiday events and sell in those contexts year round. We begin by benchmarking retailers’ comprehension of a broader retail calendar; then, we identify how experimentation, personalization, and automation factor into their seasonal sales strategies. We uncover which digital assets are driving conversions and revenue in these contexts, and look to how retailers can optimize marketing to improve user experiences on specific calendar events in the future.

Access the Full Report: Available July 2020