As the festive period draws to a close, we take a look at sales performance to see what we can learn for the year ahead. Retail sales increased from November 1st to December 24th by 4.9% from last year according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, and online sales smashed their predictions for the year with an 18.1% growth rate.
This amazing increase in online sales is being attributed to the new strategies and technologies that have made online shopping quicker and easier than ever before…
Mobile
This year, 45% of visits to sites were performed by smartphones, which compares to 46% by desktop computer. Mobile could stand up to other devices thanks to mobile-optimised websites and native apps that can push notifications with the most recent sales, as well as location and beacon services to let shoppers know about deals close by and offering personalised, up-to-date shopping experiences.
Payment
Since the creation of PayPal, digital payments have been a driving force in online commerce – and this year more retailers adopted new providers, currencies and payment methods at their checkouts. PayPal and Venmo were widely used online, whilst digital wallets, such as Apple Pay, made easy, one-click payments possible in-store.
These digital payment solutions push customers through the checkout at a much quicker rate, whilst also increasing the customers’ confidence in the buying experience.
Same-Day Delivery
Same-day delivery was introduced by Amazon, but has been adopted by many more retailers, as it can help to increase the holiday eCommerce buying season right up until Christmas Eve. Same-day delivery will increase the CX and brand loyalty of a customer should it be well executed, however, a late or failed delivery can be a very quick way to lose a customer.
Companies that offer same-day delivery must invest in the technology behind their services, as damage to a brand’s reputation thanks to a failed delivery or poor UX is hard to quantify, and won’t show up immediately in a financial statement.
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