Holiday Shopping in the Digital Age

As the holidays approach, here are a few statistics to keep in mind:

• 75% of shoppers in the U.S. use at least three channels while shopping
• 61% of consumers will abandon loyalty if they find a store with quicker delivery
• Mobile searches for “brands like …” or “stores like …” have increased by more than 60% over the last two years
• Over 50% of shoppers indicated that they would like to see content that is personalized specifically to them
• Searches for “Shopping near me” requests have exploded by over 200% in just the past two years.

Did you know that more than 3/4 of the adult holiday shoppers in our nation use at least three channels?1 This is a whole lot of people searching on their mobile devices, walking directly into a brick and mortar store, or visiting the website of a retailer. If you find that difficult to believe, you simply have to go to a mall in your area during the seasonal holiday rush and take a look at the number of shoppers with their faces embedded into their smartphones.

According to Google research, 61% of holiday shoppers are completely open to making purchases from new retailers. In 2017, more than half of them made purchases from shops unbeknownst to them.2 Now, in 2018, we are learning that shoppers are way more open to finding and trying new brands … more than they have been in the past. Mobile searches for “brands like …” or “stores like …” have increased by more than 60% over the last two years. So how are brands supposed to keep their customers?

If you, as a marketer, want your share of the shopping-frenzy pie, and if you want to convert customers over to your brand, you must be there for them when they need you. Nevertheless, you must be there for your existing customers as well, as you don’t want them going elsewhere. Providing help to those mobile shoppers asking for assistance is imperative. You must be in front of them at all times, on all channels.

When it comes to helping consumers with their shopping during the holidays, along with the rest of the year, there is nothing more important than being in front of your shoppers ‘round the clock, and across the entire calendar.

In this day and age of instant gratification, consumers have set very high expectations for today’s brands. They want their advertisements to be tailored specifically to them. Over 50% of these shoppers indicated that they would like to see content that is personalized specifically to them while out on the hunt for the perfect gift.⁸ Some of these personalizations may come in the form of personalized content or relevant deals on sites from which they regularly buy. Additionally, 40% of shoppers expect the retailers to remember details like sizes, items they’ve purchased, etc.⁹

Over the past two years, searches that go like this: “Gift + _________ year-old” have seen a lift of 100%. Along those same lines, the searches like “Gifts for Dad” have increased by over 80% over the same two-year period.10

In short, if a brand wants to win over customers during the upcoming holiday shopping frenzy, they musn’t keep thinking that one-size-fits-all. Not only is this concept outdated, but it’s also ineffective. Anticipate the needs of your customers, and be there for them … all the time.

There are still shoppers who haven’t experienced the paradigm shift to online shopping. However, mobile apps can still help them out. Searches for “Shopping near me” requests have exploded by over 200% in just the past two years.¹³

You can reduce the headache factor for your customers by providing relevant, personalized help for them. As Genius Monkey has discovered, you must always be in front of them, no matter when they need you, or what screen they are looking at. Persistence is sure to pay off for marketers that follow this advice. They will glean long-term, loyal customers who appreciate the efforts you go to to make things easier on them. This is done by simply being there.