New research shows that 49% of Christmas shoppers intend to do the majority of their shopping on their mobile phones, and only 23% will go to the store.
This is a great business opportunity to find new customers by prioritizing speedy delivery and customer service.
Celigo surveyed 4,000 global consumers across the UK and North America and found that the demand for speed drives shoppers to online purchases.
This is what customers want:
- Convenience (77%)
- Better product availability (51%)
- Speedy delivery (49%)
Who’s the favorite online marketplace for this year’s Christmas shopping? Amazon.
90% of the respondents indicated that they rely on Amazon to fulfill their gift needs.
Is there a cultural shift in online shopping?
Celigo has noticed a “cultural shift” in shopping trends. Vice president Mark Simon says, “Retailers must deliver a shopping experience that meets the expectations of today’s busy, price-conscious, and digitally savvy consumers.”
The survey data has placed the spotlight on fast, easy, and convenient shopping.
How can online businesses prepare for the peak season and to improve their delivery network?
Here are three ways to consider:
Listen to customer feedback to improve shopping experience
Often, current customers will provide feedback or reviews indicating how a business didn’t live up to their expectations.
This gives the company great insight into improving delivery speed or customer convenience. Encouraging customers to leave reviews is another helpful way to get feedback.
Remove friction from the customer journey
The quicker and more convenient the purchasing process is, the more likely the customer is to follow through and make a purchase. Try buying something from your own site to go through the buyer journey yourself and see where there is room for improvement.
Better communication
These days, emails are easily ignored, with thousands of messages flooding your inbox. Phone calls are seen as too invasive and often go unanswered by customers. However, SMS communication seems to be the favorite of many.
Timing your communication as soon as a purchase has been made makes customers feel in control of their orders.
NOW READ: 7 reasons why you need better communication during delivery of parcels
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About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
