The Comeback Clog

While almost all once-deemed-ugly ‘90s trends have made a comeback, the clog was one we didn’t see coming. Reintroducing: The Clog. The clog is set to take over the fall footwear market this upcoming season, and almost every brand and influencer is capitalizing on it. From Free People to Saks Fifth Avenue, just about every fashion retailer is offering a pair of the chunky shoes. From wooden to platform to animal print and shearling, there’s a print and style to go with every fall outfit. Clogs are the perfect transition shoe from summer to winter because of the open back that can be worn barefoot on warmer days or with socks when it begins to cool. 

Totally Terracotta

The interior design trend of muted terracotta tones will transition perfectly and become even more popular in the upcoming months. Muted terracotta has bloomed into an entire fall color scheme that will provide your home or space with warm and cozy tones, great for fall, and can be styled to work year-round. Grey was one of the most popular interior design colors for years and many people have redone and redecorated their homes recently to achieve the grey and neutral-toned aesthetic. Luckily, the autumn orange tone of terracotta blends perfectly with grey tones and will add warmth to your space as the weather begins to cool. Whether it’s wall art, blankets, pillows, furniture, or paint, you can’t go wrong with a warm muted terracotta vibe for this upcoming season. 

Bouncy 70’s Waves

Curtain bangs were one of the biggest trends of 2020 (thanks to TikTok) and the trendy hairstyle is here to stay for fall 2021, just styled differently. Fall 2021 will be all about big bouncy 70’s waves. Rollers and volumizing sprays are going to be some of the most sought-after products to achieve this look. Use rollers to add volume to your curtain bangs, add a volumizing spray throughout your ends and brush the whole thing out for big, bushy hair. Whether you want to go the curtain bangs route or want to sport another trending fall style like a sharp bob or lots of layers, the bouncy waves will look great with every cut. 

Pumpkin Spice Season

It’s everyone’s favorite time of the year: Pumpkin spice season. In the spring and summer of 2021, matcha pancakes were a go-to recipe for pancake lovers who want to indulge while also sticking to healthy habits. For fall 2021, healthy pumpkin pancakes with minimal ingredients are going to be the go-to breakfast for pumpkin and pancake lovers. The best part about the trending recipe is it’s customizable and can be made vegan and gluten-free with easy substitutions. Not only will these pancakes taste good, but they’re also the perfect food for almost every influencer to add to their social feed. Try out this Tik Tok famous recipe to add a dash of (pumpkin) spice into your mornings — but don’t forget the syrup!

Crazy For Crochet

Crocheting is a hobby that’s been around forever and it’s something that we normally associate with our grandmothers, but leave it to Tik Tok to make it cool again. DIY crochet cardigans, tops, pants, shorts, hats, coasters, rugs, and accessories are going to be the new big hobby everyone is trying to make for fall. Not only is it something to keep those of us still stuck in the house entertained, but you can also sport what you make and customize every piece. The patchwork design, typically seen on knit garments, is a trendy style this fall tool. People on Tik Tok have taken it upon themselves to show us how you can make your own patchwork clothing for a lot less. 

Subscribe To Fall

There’s no better feeling than opening up a gift and being surprised with what’s inside. With subscription boxes, whether you subscribe for yourself or give it to someone else, you get to enjoy the excitement of opening a present all year round. Subscription boxes are widely available now and can include products from travel beauty items to full-size wine bottles. So many different companies are capitalizing on the subscription service idea, and the boxes are going to continue to be a big trend this fall. The benefit of a subscription box is that there’s something for everyone and they make the perfect gift that keeps on giving for anyone for any special occasion. 

Stay Ahead Of The Curve

With the holiday season fast approaching, and shopping already started for some, it’s important to stay on top of trends. These fall trends are just a few key insights on some of the products NetElixir predicts for fall that will cause an uptick in sales for e-commerce businesses. 

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The post Fall Trends To Capitalize On appeared first on NetElixir.

Within NetElixir’s dataset, as we tracked the daily changes in online shopping behavior and trends throughout the onset of the pandemic, we found that the gifting industry was one of the fastest-growing segments. The online gifting industry saw the biggest growth in new online shoppers within our dataset, growing 8% YoY in 2020 compared to 2019. NetElixir found that Millenials and Gen Z contributed to the pool of new online shoppers the most for the gifting industry, presumably sending gifts to their parents and grandparents.

Udayan Bose, NetElixir’s CEO and Founder surmised that the growth of online gifting came from a sense of compassion in shoppers. “Consumers showed an outpouring of compassion,” Bose said, noting that consumers were in “active gifting modes since March for about two to three months.”

The high-value shopper continued to shop with a sense of urgency and compassion to stay connected with her loved ones. NetElixir’s 2021 FACES research report delves into how high-value customers’ online shopping behavior evolved in response to the e-commerce surge sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The NetElixir Retail Intelligence Lab analyzed over two million unique online consumer paths-to-purchase across ten e-commerce categories for our FACES research. Our goal was to better understand ongoing changes in the online shopping behavior and trends of high-value customers across the e-commerce landscape. We divided our data into three timeframes:

• Pre-pandemic (Jan. 1 – Mar. 15, 2020)
• Non-holiday pandemic (Mar. 16 – Nov. 15, 2020)
• Holiday pandemic (Nov. 16 – Dec. 25, 2020)

Today, we analyze how the high-value shopper of the online gifting industry adapted her online shopping habits to the changing e-commerce landscape. Meet her below:

Online Gifting Trends

Before the pandemic, the high-value customer for the online gifting industry shopped early in the day and week. She visited a website at nine a.m. and made her final purchase mostly at nine a.m. on a Tuesday. She’d wait just over six and a half days between her first website visit and final purchase. In deciding what to buy, she visited a website eleven times before completing her purchase. Presumably, she was fastidious in her gifting habits and took pride in choosing the perfect gift. Her average order value (AOV) totaled $51.55 and she usually had at least six items in her basket.

When the pandemic started in March and she could not see family and friends as much as before, the high-value shopper turned to online gifting to send her regards. ‘Quarantine gifts’ and ‘virtual gifts’ — such as greeting cards, flowers, faith-based products, and self-care items — rose in popularity as a way to stay safe, while still keeping in touch.

She started her gift research earlier throughout the pandemic, visiting a website at around eight a.m. She was most likely to complete her purchase still at nine a.m., but now on a Thursday during the height of the pandemic. Her latency period, between initial website visit and purchase, dropped to under three and a half days. However, she still visited a website eleven times before purchasing, browsing through a website over three times a day.

During the pandemic, the high-value shopper bought fewer items but spent about the same. Her AOV dropped by only one dollar to $50.66 and she averaged fewer than five items per order. Throughout this time, she seemed more concerned with having a gift rather than the price.

The Role of Mobile in Gifting

In her quest for the perfect gift during the pandemic, the high-value shopper used her mobile device for just over 27% of her first website visits and to complete 27% of her purchases. This is up 2% from pre-pandemic times. 

As the holiday season approached, the high-value shopper relied on her mobile more. She conducted just over 40% of her first website visits and completed 39% of her orders on a mobile device. Within NetElixir’s dataset for FACES, the high-value shopper for the online gifting industry had the biggest jump in the adoption of mobile commerce between the pandemic months to the holiday season. Her first-time website visits rose 12% and her online orders rose 13% between the non-holiday and holiday pandemic months.

Gifting Holiday Cheer

The high-value shopper grew more comfortable using her mobile device as the pandemic progressed, allowing her more immediacy in searching for and buying holiday gifts for loved ones. Her online shopping behavior reflected the urgency of the holiday season to secure the perfect gift and send everyone a token of appreciation.

The high-value shopper was no exception to wanting more personal gifts to send to her loved ones. As the 2020 holiday season was different than prior years, the majority of shoppers wanted to send more meaningful and thoughtful gifts. Shoppers sought out more personalized gifts during the 2020 holiday season to feel connected to those they could not meet with in person, reported CNBC. Searches for holiday gifts started earlier, especially on Pinterest. CNBC found that holiday searches typically begin to spike in June in years prior, but started surging in April last year. “Christmas gift ideas” searches were three times higher in April 2020 compared to prior years. 

In her search, the high-value shopper was more likely to browse for gifts at ten a.m. and purchase her presents at ten a.m. on Mondays. Her latency period dropped to one day and eighteen hours, down 46% from the pandemic months. She visited a website seven times in her search, thoroughly ensuring she was buying the right gift for everyone. 

Her AOV jumped to $65.65 and she bought an average of just over four and a half items. Etsy found that people favored gifts that had a purpose and meaning, that exuded comfort and a feeling of nostalgia to feel more connected during the holiday season — a sentiment apparent in the high-value shopper’s online shopping behavior. She did not worry too much about price, favoring instead finding the gift that best suited the recipient and made the holidays special. 

A Gift to Share with High-Value Customers

Personalized gifts with meaning are likely here to stay beyond the holiday season. Etsy found that ‘personalized gift’ was the most searched term on its site in 2020. The retailer predicts that maintaining a sense of connection will continue to be a priority among shoppers. Retailers looking to entice customers like the high-value shopper should offer a selection of diverse and customizable gifts.

Because the high-value shopper is mobile-savvy, consider offering mobile-online deals or selling through Instagram and other shoppable apps. Put together care packages and bundles so the high-value shopper can easily send thoughtful gifts to her loved ones. Make your delivery and shipping options clear, as the high-value shopper loves to send gifts to others.

Showcase your products through lists and blog posts that focus on individuals, such as “gifts for your best friend” or “virtual gift ideas for coworkers” to help your high-value shopper check off everyone on her list. Build out your own high-value customer profile using FACES as a reference. Learn who your high-value shopper is looking to send gifts to so you can structure your blog and social posts around the most impactful products. Your consumer profile will help you cater to your brand’s high-value shoppers by offering a selection of gifts unique to them — after all, everyone loves treating themselves to a gift!

Further Resources on Understanding Your High-Value Customers

NetElixir’s proprietary customer analytics tool, LXRInsights, charts the paths-to-purchase of your high-value customers. Using our technology, you can track customer touchpoints and build customer personas for more personalized and targeted campaigns – just as we explored in our 2021 FACES report. Request a demo of LXRInsights for specifics into your business at https://www.lxrinsights.com/.

Tune in on Fridays to learn more about your industry’s high-value customers. Browse through our previously published industries:

• Pet Supplies
• Home Furnishing
• Fashion & Jewelry

The post Gifting: 2020 Online Shopping Behavior of High-Value Customers  appeared first on NetElixir.

Fashion and jewelry choices, however, have always been a statement on identity and sales soon began to bounce back. NetElixir found that apparel sales surged in April when the first stimulus checks were sent, revealing a pent-up demand in the market for new fashion items. With extra spending money, people turned almost immediately to treating themselves to personal wants as opposed to essential necessities. As remote working continued, Zoom fashion sparked a resurgence in athleisure wear. The locations of meetings may have changed, but fashion and jewelry were still important identity-markers, especially in a Zoom square. 

The high-value shopper of the fashion and jewelry e-commerce industry adjusted her online shopping behavior as the pandemic continued. Shoppers of all types needed to quickly adapt to the rapid and digital changes the world was undergoing. NetElixir’s 2021 FACES research report delves into how high-value customers’ online shopping behavior evolved in response to the e-commerce surge sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The NetElixir Retail Intelligence Lab analyzed over two million unique online consumer paths-to-purchase across ten e-commerce categories for our FACES research. Our goal was to better understand ongoing changes in online shopping behaviors and trends of high-value customers. We divided our data into three timeframes:

• Pre-pandemic (Jan. 1 – Mar. 15, 2020)
• Non-holiday pandemic (Mar. 16 – Nov. 15, 2020)
• Holiday pandemic (Nov. 16 – Dec. 25, 2020)

Meet the high-value shopper for the fashion and jewelry retail industry: 

Fashion and Jewelry Online Shopping Trends

Prior to the pandemic, the high-value shopper of the fashion and jewelry industry took her time with her purchases. She searched and shopped at a leisurely pace, usually visiting a website around two p.m. and purchased on a Saturday at one p.m. Shopping for new clothes and accessories was a fun hobby for this high-value shopper, as she took time out of her weekend to browse through fashion selections.

She visited a website seven times across seven days before finally completing her purchase. This high-value shopper is a thorough shopper and carefully reviews each article prior to purchasing. She’d buy just over two items per shopping occasion, with her average order value totaling $168.33. 

While apparel sales dropped significantly at the start of the pandemic, sales began to recuperate starting from April and continuing to surge through the summer for back-to-school. Warmer weather and reopenings drove shoppers to replenish their wardrobe – even if it was the latest piece of athleisure wear for a walk in the park with friends. The high-value shopper was still selective in her browsing, visiting a website six times prior to purchase. However, she placed her orders more quickly, as her latency period declined by half: she now took only three days and about eight hours between the first website visit and final purchase. 

She searched earlier in the day, around eleven a.m., and purchased at noon on a Saturday. This high-value shopper still reserved her weekends to browse through the fashion selection, as style remained her passion even if the occasion had changed. She bought fractionally more items per purchase instance during the pandemic (2.17 compared to pre-pandemic’s 2.15), but her AOV dropped by $10 to $156.48.

While the high-value fashion and jewelry customers probably prioritized new clothes and accessories more than the average customer, innovative apparel companies who pivoted to producing and selling masks helped keep their ware relevant and fresh. This, in turn, kept shoppers like the high-value shopper engaged with new products and allowed them to continue to have a sense of identity through a choice of masks.

Mobile As A Fashion Statement

Continued customer engagement is crucial to any successful e-commerce business and a user-friendly digital interface is important as online shopping continues to gain prominence. Due to the high-value shopper’s younger age of 25-35, she is comfortable navigating her mobile device, presumably even before the pandemic compelled more shoppers online.

Pre-pandemic, she used her mobile phone for almost 22% of her first website visits and to complete 22% of her orders. The role of mobile in her purchase journey only increased during the pandemic. From March to November, she made 24% of her first website visits and final orders on her mobile device. During the holiday season, that number rose further, as she was visiting a website 28% of the time and completing 27% of her orders on her mobile device. 

Mobile apps always had an important role in the fashion industry, especially to help with virtual try-on and simplify social commerce. The fashion industry is a versatile industry, so it will continue to adapt to the increasing role of mobile. 

The Holidays Drove a Heightened Sense of Urgency in Online Shopper Behavior

Equally as versatile as the fashion industry itself is the high-value customer. She quickly adjusted her online shopping behavior to accommodate new e-commerce trends. As the holiday season approached, she made her purchase decisions more quickly and purposefully to secure gifts – for both loved ones and herself. The holidays may have been homebound, but that didn’t mean she needed to skimp on her outfit. 

During the holiday season, the high-value shopper searched around one p.m. and completed her purchase at two p.m. on a Monday. She took one day and about three hours between the first website visit and final purchase — the shortest holiday latency period within NetElixir’s dataset. During this time, she visited a website four times prior to purchase.

Her holiday basket size was two and a half items and her AOV jumped to $183.41. Like other high-value customers in NetElixir’s study, the fashion and jewelry shopper was willing to spend more to secure gifts.

Online Shopping Expectations for These Fashion-Conscious High-Value Customers

The latest trends and styles were never far from the high-value customer’s mind. Early on in the pandemic, she may not have had the full resources and disposable income to splurge on new clothes and accessories. However, pent-up demand will continue to spark economic growth. As the weather gets warmer, vaccines continue to roll out, and more stimulus checks are expected, customers like the high-value shopper will likely spend more in personal categories like fashion and jewelry.

Keep your campaigns running throughout the weekend when she is more likely to be searching and shopping. On social media, showcase diverse models wearing your latest clothes and accessories; if people are hesitant to go in-store, they still want to have a sense of how clothes and accessories will look on them. Forbes reports that more customers are using augmented reality to virtually try on make and clothes in a new digital fashion wave. Continue to drive urgency in your high-value customers by updating your website with the latest styles and new choices.

Further Resources on Understanding Your High-Value Customers

NetElixir’s proprietary customer analytics tool, LXRInsights, charts the paths-to-purchase of your high-value customers. Using our technology, you can track customer touchpoints and build customer personas for more personalized and targeted campaigns – just as we explored in our 2021 FACES report. Request a demo of LXRInsights for specifics into your business at https://www.lxrinsights.com/.

Tune in on Fridays to learn more about your industry’s high-value customers. Browse through our previously published industries:

• Food and Gourmet
• Pet Supplies
• Home Furnishing

The post Fashion & Jewelry: How High-Value Customers’ Online Shopping Behavior Changed in 2020 appeared first on NetElixir.

Beginning in 2018, Statista showed that over half of Generation X and Millennials customers were willing to shop for home accents and large furniture online. By 2020, that willingness became more apparent. According to NetElixir’s dataset throughout 2020, the home furnishing retail category saw explosive growth throughout the year. Sales peaked around the beginning of August, growing at 170%+ YoY after over four months of steady 100%+ growth. 

As the pandemic continued, consumer’s online shopping behavior shifted to adapt to rapid digital and social changes and to accommodate working- and learning-from-home. NetElixir’s 2021 FACES research report delves into the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on consumer behavior trends in 2020 across e-commerce industries. Today, we look at how the online shopping behavior of the high-value customer of the home furnishing industry changed over the course of 2020.

The NetElixir Retail Intelligence Lab analyzed over two million unique online consumer paths-to-purchase across ten retail categories. Our goal was to better understand ongoing changes in online shopping behaviors and trends of high-value customers. We divided our data into three timeframes:

• Pre-pandemic (Jan. 1 – Mar. 15, 2020)
• Non-holiday pandemic (Mar. 16 – Nov. 15, 2020)
• Holiday pandemic (Nov. 16 – Dec. 25, 2020)

Meet the high-value shopper for the home furnishing retail industry: 

Online Shopping Trends for Home Furnishing

Prior to the pandemic, the high-value customer for the home furnishing industry was a morning shopper. She visited a website around ten AM and made her purchases around 11 AM on Tuesdays. Presumably, she shopped earlier in the week and day to be able to have her home remade and decor updated in time for the weekend for whatever she was hosting. She visited a website about eight times prior to purchasing and waited almost four days between initial website visit and purchase. On average, she visited a website just over twice a day.

She seemed to desire a change in her home more often than the average customer, so this desire for something new was heightened during the pandemic. As the pandemic progressed, her online shopping habits became more purposeful. During the height of the pandemic, she visited a website even earlier than before: she visited at nine AM and made her purchase at ten AM on a Monday. While she could no longer host parties on weekends as she did before, she was now possibly changing her virtual background decor or buying new office furniture.

While she still visited a website eight times prior to making a purchase, she now took only two days and about five hours between her first website visit and completing an order. She visited a website about three times a day during the pandemic. 

Her average order value dropped significantly during the pandemic, from $429.52 for an average of 2.6 items to $366.58 for an average of 2.5 items per order. This high-value customer was probably ordering small pieces of furniture and decor to make small changes throughout her house. She now had more rooms to work with and more people within those rooms who grew tired of looking at the same things over and over. She also probably wanted to recreate her home as both a place of productivity during working hours and relaxation during off-hours.

As Al Bessin, the Chief Operating Officer of Circa Lighting, said in a conversation with NetElixir, “shoppers sought comfort in their home during the pandemic.” He surmised that people sought design changes after looking at the same lamp and furniture day in and day out. Bessin said that the pandemic was “impacting people’s desire and want to have a more comfortable place to work.” 

At Home on Mobile

As customers sought more comfort in their homes, so too they wanted a comfortable and seamless online shopping experience. Shoppers tend to find bigger screens easier to see their home furnishing choices. Pre-pandemic, our high-value shopper used her mobile phone for only 10% of her searches and to place 17% of her orders. Like other industries, this high-value shopper grew more comfortable searching and shopping on her mobile device as the pandemic progressed. From March to November of last year, she conducted almost 15% of her searches and made almost 22% of her purchases on her mobile device. As the holidays neared, she grew even more comfortable with using her mobile device more in her buying cycle. Nearly 20% of her first website visits and 23% of her orders were made on her phone. 

Creating a user-friendly shopping experience helps bridge the gap between mobile and desktop searches. 

How the Holidays Quickened Online Shopping Behavior

In preparation for her homebound holiday celebration, our high-value customer visited a website at noon and made her purchase at noon on Monday. She no longer searched exclusively in the morning, though she was still more active at the beginning of the week. She still visited a website eight times prior to making a purchase but was taking less than two days between the initial website visit and order completion. 

The holidays called for new decorations and new furniture to accommodate different celebrations. Her AOV was close to $500 and the items per order rose to an average of three and a half. These could have been holiday-specific items to create a festive atmosphere to make the homebound holidays special and different than the prior months spent inside, as many more people were spending the holidays in their homes. 

The Home Furnishing industry saw the greatest increase in holiday e-commerce sales, second only to the Food and Gourmet industry. During the Cyber 5, orders for home furnishing grew over 70% YoY. 

Online Shopping Expectations for These High-Value Customers

Between zoom backgrounds and spending long hours working from home, our high-value home furnishing shopper cares about how she navigates her space. She likes to change her surroundings so she is not bored by the same designs. To keep her interested, continually offer new products and patterns to give her options. Consider sending out your newsletters early in the morning on a Monday or Tuesday, when she is more likely to be searching for inspiration. 

Home furnishing brands can get creative in how they display their products. For example, Al Bessin of Circa Lighting took advantage of more flexible work hours and the increase of online shoppers. He sought to create an active dialogue online with his audience by increasing their social media and online events with more virtual tours and showrooms. 

Further Resources on Understanding Your High-Value Customers

Through our research, we can begin to understand what effect the coronavirus pandemic had on online shopping behavior. As part of NetElixir’s ongoing research in online shopping behavior, we will offer a weekly in-depth analysis into one of the ten retail categories explored in NetElixir’s 2021 FACES report. Tune in on Fridays to learn more about your industry’s high-value customers. Last week, we delved into the online shopping behavior of the high-value customer of the Pet Supplies retail industry. We used LXRInsights to analyze and aggregate the data for FACES. Please use FACES as a benchmark for your industry. Request a demo of LXRInsights for specifics into your business at https://www.lxrinsights.com/.

Create a seamless experience throughout your customer’s shopping journey. NetElixir’s proprietary customer analytics tool, LXRInsights, charts the paths-to-purchase of your high-value customers. Using our technology, you can track customer touchpoints and build customer personas for more personalized campaigns. 

The post Home Furnishings High-Value Customers Online Shopping Behavior In 2020 appeared first on NetElixir.

NetElixir’s 2021 FACES research report delves into the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on consumer behavior trends in 2020 across various e-commerce industries. Today, we look at how the online shopping behavior of the high-value customer of the Pets Supplies industry changed throughout last year.

The NetElixir Retail Intelligence Lab analyzed over two million unique online consumer paths-to-purchase across ten retail categories. Our goal was to better understand ongoing changes in online shopping behaviors and trends. We divided our data into three timeframes:

• Pre-pandemic (Jan. 1 – Mar. 15, 2020)
• Non-holiday pandemic (Mar. 16 – Nov. 15, 2020)
• Holiday pandemic (Nov. 16 – Dec. 25, 2020)

Meet the high-value shopper for the Pet Supplies retail industry: 

Changes in Online Shopping Behavior for the Pet Supplies Industry

Pre-pandemic, the Pet Supplies high-value shopper took over seven days to complete her purchase. She would first visit a site around 6 pm on a Friday or Saturday and make her purchase around 7 pm on the following Saturday. She would visit a website eighteen times before making a final purchase. Within NetElixir’s dataset for FACES, the Pet Supplies high-value shopper had the most amount of website visits prior to purchasing. She took her time researching and comparing different products and prices. A lot of these purchases could have been wants, in that maybe her dog didn’t need a new toy, but he certainly was a good boy who deserved one. Presumably, she searched around a lot to see what was available, but waited until a sale or she had enough products to acquire free shipping.

Our high-value shopper bought almost three and a half items per order and her average order value totaled $184.18. 

As the pandemic progressed (and at the height of foster adoptions), she made her purchases more quickly. She now searched at 9 am, but still made her purchase at 7 pm on a Saturday. She now took less than four days to make a decision and visited the website eleven times in her research. This averages out to slightly more website visits per day than pre-pandemic (2.8 website visits during the non-holiday pandemic compared to 2.4 visits during pre-pandemic). However, her overall buying journey was cut in half during the non-holiday pandemic. Her AOV dropped $26 to $158.42 and she bought just over three items. With a growing sense of urgency to ensure she could provide for herself, so too she quickly stocked up on supplies for her pets.

The Increasing Role of Mobile in the Pet Supplies Path-to-Purchase

Mobile usage only increased for the high-value Pet Supplies customer as the pandemic progressed. Pre-pandemic, she used her mobile to first visit a website 32% of the time, which increased to 34% as the pandemic continued to spread. Mobile purchases went up slightly from 33% to 34% from pre-pandemic to non-holiday pandemic. 

As our high-value shopper grew more accustomed to shopping online, she relied more on her mobile device for product discovery and to complete her orders. By the end of the year, she was using her mobile even more: she first visited a website nearly 40% of the time and conducted 39% of her purchases on a mobile device. 

How Online Shopping Behavior Changed During the Holidays

During the holiday season, our high-value customer’s online shopping behavior became more intentional and focused. Her latency between initial website visit and purchase dropped further to just over three days. She visited a website eight times prior purchasing or an average of two and a half times a day. This average is lower than the non-holiday pandemic, but just above pre-pandemic. The sense of urgency to ensure she had what her pets needed continued to impact her online shopping behavior. Additionally, with a rise in new pet owners, pet supplies made an easy gift option for the holidays. She could have been searching more thoroughly to secure gifts for other pets.

She now searched late at night at 10 pm (maybe waiting until her pet was asleep so as not to spoil the holiday surprise). Maybe shopping for pet supplies became one of the later priorities on her holiday to-do list and she conducted her research at the end of the day, after searching and buying for other friends and family members. She still made her purchases at 7 pm, but on a Sunday during the holidays. 

AOV increased to $200.52, while items per order dropped to an average of three. Brands offered less promotions during the 2020 holiday season to make up for profits, consumers across industries spent more on fewer items during the holiday season. However, as more people fostered more animals this year, as well, the new additions to the family also needed a special holiday treat.

Online Shopping Expectations for These High-Value Customers

Despite the slight fluctuations in when the Pet Supplies high-value shopper searched for products, she predominantly shopped for her pets during off-work hours. Overall, her online buying behavior remained consistent: she made her purchases at 7 pm on a weekend. This could be because she wants to devout more attention to finding her pets the right things (whereas she can shop for herself a bit more quickly and during work hours). Or, she finds it relaxing to shop for her pets at the end of the day. Regardless, pet supply brands should ensure a seamless user experience to make her searching and shopping as easy as possible. 

As she predominantly made her purchases on the weekend, consider running your promotions through Saturday and Sunday when her buying intent is likely to be higher. Consider scheduling your social posts during off-work hours when she’s more likely to be searching or shopping. Reserve a portion of your ad budget for retargeting  to keep her attention.

Build up your brand by sharing relevant information on caring for different types of pets. In NetElixir’s conversation with Ruth Jeffers, founder and CEO of Jeffers Pet, Jeffers said she had seen an increase in questions about animal health and care-taking during the pandemic. More pet owners were at home grooming and caring for their pets, so there was an increased need for information. She also found that she had more engagement with her email campaigns on the weekends, which aligns with NetElixir’s findings on the increased shopping intent of the high-value Pet Supplies customer on weekends.

Further Resources on Understanding Your High-Value Customers

It is crucial for marketers and retailers to have a thorough understanding of their consumers’ online shopping behavior to be able to meet them in the moments that matter.

As part of NetElixir’s ongoing research in online shopping behavior, we will offer a weekly in-depth analysis into one of the ten retail categories explored in NetElixir’s 2021 FACES report. Tune in on Fridays to learn more about your industry’s high-value customer. Last week, we delved into the online shopping behavior of the high-value customer of the Food and Gourmet retail industry.

How can you develop a strategy to engage your high-value customers? NetElixir’s proprietary customer analytics tool, LXRInsights, charts the paths-to-purchase of your high-value customers. Using our technology, you can track customer touchpoints and build out customer personas. 

We used LXRInsights to analyze and aggregate the data for FACES. Please use FACES as a benchmark for your industry. Request a demo of LXRInsights for specifics into your business at https://www.lxrinsights.com/.

The post Pet Supplies Industry: How Online Shopping Behavior of High-Value Customers Changed In 2020 appeared first on NetElixir.

The NetElixir Retail Intelligence Lab analyzed over two million unique online consumer paths-to-purchase across ten retail categories. Our goal was to better understand ongoing changes in online shopping trends. We divided our data into three timeframes:

• Pre-pandemic (Jan. 1 – Mar. 15, 2020)
• Non-holiday pandemic (Mar. 16 – Nov. 15, 2020)
• Holiday pandemic (Nov. 16 – Dec. 25, 2020)

The pre-pandemic timeframe serves as a baseline; had 2020 been a year like any other, e-commerce adoption and digital transformation would have continued at its expected pace. McKinsey found that the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies by several years. The pandemic also helped thousands of shoppers cross the initial barrier to online shopping — and once these consumers regularly began shopping online, their average order value was 12% higher than pre-pandemic shoppers. According to NetElixir’s data, they also purchased more frequently.

As online shopping behavior continues to evolve, it is crucial for marketers and retailers to have a thorough understanding of their consumers to be able to meet them in the moments that matter.

For an overview of your high-value consumer profile, download our report now at https://stage.netelixir.com//faces/. Keep reading for a deep dive into the online shopping behavior of the Food and Gourmet industry’s high-value shopper.

Meet the high-value shopper for the Food and Gourmet retail industry: 

Changes in Online Shopping Behavior for the Food & Gourmet Industry

During the onset of the pandemic from March into April, the Food and Gourmet retail industry experienced massive YoY growth. Back in March, as NetElixir was studying the daily changes in online orders, we saw unprecedented growth across the majority of online industries, but none saw growth quite like the Food and Gourmet industry. The Food and Gourmet retail industry experienced its greatest growth from March 22 to April 4, with online sales surging at nearly 600% YoY. Sales continued to increase at over 100% YoY through June, and skyrocketed again during the holiday season.

Pre-pandemic, 50% of food consumed was done outside the home and 38% of occasions were celebrated outside the home, according to NetElixir’s conversation with Parag Shah, the VP of Grocery at Wakefern Food Corporation. 

Prior to the pandemic, our high-value shopper took her time in her online search. She would first visit a website around 12 pm and was most likely to purchase around 9 am on a Sunday. She would visit a website five times prior to purchase and wait just over five days between initial website visit and first purchase. On average, she’d buy over two items per online order and spend $245.48.

As the pandemic progressed, people shopped more quickly; our high-value customer waited only two days between first website visit and first purchase. Although she still visited a website five times prior to making a purchase, as our high-value shopper was just as fastidious in her research as before the outbreak spread, she made her purchase decisions much quicker. She researched and shopped earlier, as she was more likely to visit a website and make a purchase almost first thing in the morning at 8 am. This was presumably to ensure her essential food items were available. She was more likely to make a purchase on a Tuesday. Her AOV dropped $15 to $229.96 and she shopped for marginally less items per order. 

Our high-value customer focused on finding the items she strictly needed. Brand loyalty dropped in favor of securing essential items. As an always-on shopper or new to online shopping, she still conducted thorough research, but had more time throughout her week to research and shop. She quickly finalized her order to ensure she could feed her family.

The Role of Mobile in the Food and Gourmet Customer Journey

Our high-value customer predominantly favors researching and shopping on her desktop. However, as the pandemic continued, she used her mobile device more. Prior to the pandemic, she used her mobile only 16% of the time when first visiting a website. During the pandemic, that rose to 20% of the time as she grew more comfortable using her mobile phone. Her comfort level only grew during the holiday season, as she conducted 21% of her initial website visits on a mobile device.

Presumably, she would see deals or meal ideas while already scrolling through her phone and researched there and then. She was less likely to make a purchase on her mobile phone, completing a mobile purchase only 15% of the time pre-pandemic, which rose to 19% during the pandemic. When the holidays came around, she preferred her desktop again, with mobile purchases dropping to 18% of total online orders. 

Online Shopping Behavior During the Holidays

The Food and Gourmet retail industry had the highest YoY growth during Cyber 5, growing over 95% compared to 2019’s Cyber 5 weekend, according to NetElixir’s dataset. Consumers wanted to make the holidays special with delicious home-cooked meals. With smaller holiday gatherings, more people had to buy their own food.

Our high-value customer’s sense of urgency to buy food items only grew during the holiday season. As she knew her way around e-commerce stores more by mid-November, she researched less prior to purchase: she’d visit a website only four times prior to purchasing and take one day and six hours to complete her purchase. She was more likely now to buy on a Friday at 1 pm. She was visiting the website later than she was during the pandemic, now at 10 am, but still not waiting as late as pre-pandemic. 

The biggest shift in her online shopping behavior was her attitude towards prices. While her AOV decreased during the pandemic in an effort to be mindful of costs, she wanted to make the holidays special this year. Her AOV rose 24% from pre-pandemic time to holidays as she spent about $305 per order, while the items per order decreased to just over two. She was now spending $150 per individual item for the holidays, compared to $96 during the pandemic and $101 pre-pandemic. 

In an effort to make the holidays unique in their own way, she zeroed in on what she wanted. She had an idea of what she wanted to make and quickly followed through with her purchases to make new traditions with her home-cooked meals.

Targeting and Engaging New High-Value Customers

To cater to this high-value shopper, ensure all product availability is fully listed and updated on your website so she knows exactly what she can get. Entice other high-value shoppers like her by including early bird deals or adding countdown clocks to your website. As she grows more comfortable using her mobile, consider offering mobile-only deals to encourage a quicker conversion.

Further Resources on Understanding Your High-Value Customers

Tune in each week for a deep dive into one of the ten retail categories explored in NetElixir’s 2021 FACES report. 

Why do we study high-value customers? NetElixir has found that high-value customers account for over 60% of total website purchases. We used our proprietary customer analytics tool, LXRInsights, to analyze and aggregate the data for FACES. 

Our cutting-edge customer journey mapping technology gives brands the power to engage the right shoppers responsibly and effectively in the moments that matter most. Please use FACES as a benchmark for your industry. Request a demo of LXRInsights for specifics into your business at https://www.lxrinsights.com/.

The post How Online Shopping Behavior of High-Value Food & Gourmet Customers Changed In 2020 appeared first on NetElixir.

Black Friday deals are looming as retailers extend promotions to capture early shoppers and lessen the strain on last-minute shipping. Keeping track of eCommerce trends and online shopping behaviors will help agile marketers capture an opportunity that comes their way.

We see some of the follow trends for October 2020 compared to October 2019:

• Food and Grocery eCommerce is growing at a rate unseen in a few months. While not hitting early March and April numbers from the start of the coronavirus pandemic, people appear to be preparing early for the holidays through triple digit increase in conversion rates, compared to last year.
• Orders by new shoppers are continually growing Y/Y across retail categories. Ensure a smooth transition for these new shoppers with a frictionless checkout experience. Engage new customers with surveys and on social media to understand their shopping experience with your brand.
• Mobile continues to play an increasingly important role in the online shopping experience. Consider offering mobile only deals to encourage impulse buys. Ensure your website has a mobile first approach to create a user-friendly experience.

The year-over-year changes from October 2019 to October 2020 are as follows:

Food and Grocery Ecommerce Trends

• Website conversions jumped 126%
• Transactions soared 70%.
• Average order value (AOV) rose 4%.
• Percentage of mobile orders rose 41%.
• Orders by new shoppers increased 74%.

Apparel Industry Ecommerce Trends

• Website conversions decreased 31%
• Transactions jumped 91%.
• AOV increased 3%.
• Percentage of mobile orders increased  ust 1%.
• Orders by new shoppers skyrocketed 128%.

Gifting Industry Ecommerce Trends

• Website conversions increased 39%
• Transactions rose 36%.
• AOV increased just 2%.
• Percentage of mobile orders dropped 4%.
• Orders by new shoppers rose 29%.

Home Furnishing Ecommerce Trends

• Website conversions increased 7%
• Transactions skyrocketed 63%.
• AOV dropped 3%.
• Percentage of mobile orders soared 172%.
• Orders by new shoppers jumped 64%.

Pet Supplies Ecommerce Trends

• Website conversions increased 2%
• Transactions increased 34%.
• AOV dropped by 6%.
• Percentage of mobile orders rose 12%.
• Orders by new shoppers jumped 60%.

Tools and Hardware Ecommerce Trends

• Website conversions fell 17%
• Transactions jumped 45%.
• AOV increased just 6%.
• Percentage of mobile orders jumped 29%.
• Orders by new shoppers increased 31%.

For a deeper dive into how Prime Day, Election Day, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic impacted eCommerce and online shopping behavior, join NetElixir’s latest webinar on the Road to Recovery: Real-Time Data on eCommerce Trends + Updated Holiday Season Forecast. You’ll gain insights into:

• Charting a successful path to recovery, starting with a successful 2020 holiday season
• Latest online shopper behavior and patterns across seven retail categories and actionable insights for your marketing mix
• The updated holiday season forecast for November-December with NetElixir’s 2020 Holiday ECommerce Sales Calendar

During the webinar, we will be releasing our 2020 Holiday eCommerce Sales Calendar, which highlights the key online sales days and underlying forces that may have an impact on sales this year. Register now at https://stage.netelixir.com//webinar/. 

Further Reading into Holiday Insights

• B2B ECommerce Search Marketing Case Study
• Get Results with Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
• 6 Reasons to Have a Blog for Your Business
• 2020 Holiday Season ECommerce Forecast

The post October 2020 Retail ECommerce YoY Insights appeared first on NetElixir.

Food and Grocery Retail Category

• Website conversions rose 7%.
• Transactions increased 3%.
• The average order value (AOV) rose 6%.
• Percentage of mobile orders jumped 57%.

As New Jersey recently became one of the last states to allow indoor dining to resume at a limited capacity, people across the states have resumed eating more meals outside their homes. While the restaurant business is not running at the same pace it was prior to the pandemic, the option for a variety in meals has prompted less of a demand for online food and grocery orders. While the Food and Grocery retail category still saw growth throughout August 2020, it is nowhere near as explosive as it was at the onset of the pandemic. 

However, as the holiday season quickly approaches – and is celebrated through a variety of shared meals and baked goods – food and grocery retailers should get an early start in promoting their products and delivery services. They can capitalize on the longer consumer journey by delving into recipe and food blogs to help inspire consumers to try new meals.

Apparel Retail Category

• Website conversions jumped 29%.
• Transactions rose 29%.
• AOV showed almost no change, rising just 1%.
• Percentage of mobile orders increased just 1%.

July 2020 was an overall stronger month for the Apparel retail category than August 2020 in terms of growth; however, clothing sales are still on the rise after a tumultuous start at the beginning of the pandemic. Between back-to-school and the end of summer sales, as well as opportunities for consumers to frequent restaurants, malls, and other social venues, retailers have more of an occasion to showcase their products. Several stores already started their Labor Day Sales, to help kick off a new holiday season.

Inventory information regarding sizing and color options should be readily available on your website so shoppers know what to expect when browsing your site. 

Gifting Retail Category

• Website conversions increased 21%.
• Transactions jumped 40%.
• AOV increased just 3%.
• Percentage of mobile orders rose 19%.

The Gifting retail category has had a breakthrough over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, offering a fun and unique way for people to stay in touch with each other and share moments of love and compassion. Amid the uncertainty of the holiday season, the role of gifting will continue to play a prominent role in how consumers communicate with loved ones. 

A streamlined mobile store and gifting options organized by occasion will help casual searchers and new to online shoppers easily navigate your website to find the perfect gift.

Home Furnishing Retail Category

• Website conversions increased 12%.
• Transactions skyrocketed 83%.
• AOV decreased by 3%.
• Percentage of mobile orders dropped 5%.

The Home Furnishing retail category has been experiencing phenomenal growth over the past few months and ends summer with a strong number of conversions and transactions.

Labor Day is a great opportunity for Home Furnishing retailers to attract new customers with deals on furniture. With the holidays anticipated to be largely homebound this season, people may want to redecorate their homes as they host celebrations. As these shoppers will most likely plan ahead of the early holiday season, it is important for retailers to get a jumpstart on sharing design inspiration and reaching new customers. 

Pet Supplies Retail Category

• Website conversions rose 7%.
• Transactions increased 39%.
• AOV decreased by 3%.
• Percentage of mobile orders increased 8%.

The upcoming holiday season is a special time for our pets as well as for us – and it’s a special time we can share with our pets. As the coronavirus pandemic prompted a dramatic increase in the number of fostered animals, this holiday season is a unique time for new pet parents. Optimized content on caring for new pets and basic products can go a long way to help Pet Supplies retailers find these new pet parents who are searching for tips and beginner supplies to make their pet happy and comfortable. 

Tools and Hardware Retail Category

• Website conversions decreased by 1%.
• Transactions jumped 65%.
• AOV rose 14%.
• Percentage of mobile orders rose 13%.

The coronavirus pandemic kickstarted an interest or renewal in various hobbies as people had more time to cultivate their garden, spruce up their home, design model kits and cosplays, and more. These new facets could play an important role in the upcoming holiday season. As mobile orders rose year over year between August 2019 and August 2020, retailers of the Tools and Hardware category could benefit from offering mobile sales to capture impulse buyers. Time limited deals off a nice incentive to get consumers clicking, so research the best time of day when your shoppers are converting to capture their attention.

Further Reading into Holiday Insights

• Ensure Your E-Commerce Site is Ready for the Holiday Influx
• Google’s Digital Insights to Uncover Clues for Q4 Readiness
• Forget ‘Content is King’ – Content is Actually Queen

The post August 2020 Retail Ecommerce Trends appeared first on NetElixir.

July 2020 Retail Ecommerce Updates

• Retail sales, digital and physical, are the backbone of the economy. Retail overall is helping to refuel the economic recovery, reports the National Retail Federation. Retailers need to ensure their online business is operational and accessible to consumers to entice people to continue shopping.
• The Apparel, Pet Supplies, and Home Furnishings retail categories had a triple digit increase in the number of new online orders for the month of July 2020, compared to 2019.
• Except for the Food and Grocery and Tools and Hardware retail categories, all categories experienced a year over year decrease in the average order value (AOV). However, no category exceeded a 10% year over year decrease, making July 2020, on average, see some of the lowest change in AOV.
• Apparel is quickly seeing a rebound in ecommerce sales as the warm weather and outdoor dining options have us showing off more clothes than a work-from-home Zoom cal.

Read more below to see how retail ecommerce sales for July 2020 compared to sales for July 2019.

Food and Grocery Sales in July 2020

• Over 100% increase in website conversions.
• A 68% increase in the number of transactions.
• A 24% increase in AOV.
• A 28% increase in the percentage of mobile orders.
• And a 72% increase in new online orders.

Apparel Sales 

• A 42% increase in website conversions.
• A 102% increase in the number of transactions.
• A 6% decrease in AOV.
• A 34% increase in the percentage of mobile orders.
• And a 111% increase in new online orders.

Gifting Sales 

• A 14% decrease in website conversions.
• A 30% increase in the number of transactions.
• A 9% decrease in AOV.
• A 16% increase in the percentage of mobile orders.
• And a 71% increase in new online orders.

Home Furnishings Sales

• A 32% increase in website conversions.
• A 98% increase in the number of transactions.
• A 2% decrease in AOV.
• A 163% increase in the percentage of mobile orders.
• And a 164% increase in new online orders.

Pet Supplies Sales 

• A 14% increase in website conversions.
• A 44% increase in the number of transactions.
• A 6% decrease in AOV.
• A 12% increase in the percentage of mobile orders.
• And a 106% increase in new online orders.

Tools and Hardware Sales

• A 5% decrease in website conversions.
• A 51% increase in the number of transactions.
• A 7% increase in AOV.
• A 12% increase in the percentage of mobile orders.
• And a 65% increase in new online orders.

2020 Holiday Season

This holiday season, it will be important to connect the dots across a wide range of different scenarios and outcomes this year may bring. Retailers and marketers should have various holiday strategies. NetElixir is proud to announce our first virtual holiday readiness summit. Connecting the Dots: Holiday Readiness Summit for Retailers is a ½ summit that brings together preeminent retail industry leaders, channel marketing specialists, supply chain experts, and strategic thinkers from Google, Microsoft, UPS, Columbia Business School, and more. Through this webinar, we aspire to help retail and business leaders rethink their holiday approach and innovate new strategies to move forward during this unpredictable year. RSVP for this summit on August 13th to learn 10 key holiday takeaways for this year.

Read More On Retail ECommerce Sales During the Coronavirus Pandemic

You can join the conversation on social media using #NxInsights. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email us at shareinsights@netelixir.com.

For further reading, you can see our prior retail analytics updates on retail e-commerce and online shopping behavior:

• Navigating through a Shifting Environment
• June 2020: How the Coronavirus is Impacting Retail Ecommerce 
• Fashion and Apparel During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Road to Recovery: Lessons from Mid-Size Retailers

The post July 2020 Retail Ecommerce Sales appeared first on NetElixir.

As a fanatically analytical digital marketing company, NetElixir aims to “share, almost relentlessly, updated insights,” explains our Founder and CEO, Udayan Bose.

Updated insights are crucial, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, as sales and behavior are constantly in flux. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, said, “We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.” We have had to continually adapt, experiment, and innovate to navigate these uncertain and unpredictable times. 

Changing Customer Behavior

Consumer preferences are changing almost weekly as they adapt to the new normal. Why consumers buy is just as important as how and when. The Elements of Value Pyramid, by Bain and Co., categorizes consumer values based on emotional and psychological needs. Living through a pandemic upsets many of the average reasons why people would buy different products in the pre-pandemc times. 

We see consumers buying based on functionality, choosing products to simplify their lives to reduce their anxieties. Emotionally, consumers tend to buy more products that promote stress-reduction, wellness, and nostalgia. This nostalgia brings consumers back to past vacations, their childhood, memories from friends and family before dynamics were upset and future plans uncertain. Finally, consumers are buying more things that provide hope. Pivoting a marketing strategy on helpfulness and hopefulness could be a valuable strategy, especially as we veer closer to the holiday season. 

As marketers, we have to consider that the changes we are seeing in consumer behavior may become permanent. It takes, on average, 66 days to form a habit. That’s anything from mid-May on. Learning about your customers now will help you engage them better in the upcoming future.

Impact of the Coronavirus on Ecommerce Sales

Since the first two weeks of June, the Home Furnishings retail category has seen the greatest year over year growth, surpassing the Food and Grocery retail category. Home Furnishings has seen consistent triple digit year over year growth since the end of April. 

The Apparel retail category has seen positive year over year growth since the release of the stimulus check in mid-April. As ecommerce sales for Apparel continues to grow however, we do see a decline in the sales of other categories. During the first two weeks of July, Apparel has seen its biggest year over year increase, compared to the same time period in 2019, of just over 25%. The Apparel, Food and Grocery, and Home Furnishings categories all saw growth throughout the month of July to date. 

The Gifting retail category was what Bose called “one of most interesting [categories] in our dataset.” “Consumers showed an outpouring of compassion,” Bose continued, noting that consumers were in “active gifting modes since March for about two to three months.” Gifting can make a resurgence as we draw closer to the holiday season, so marketers may want to consider new gifting opportunities and products. 

Pet Supplies has remained steady in terms of ecommerce sales, as has the Tools and Hardware retail category. Our hobbies and our pets continue to occupy our time.

June sales were slower, on average, compared to May, but many picked back up in July. However, we still note many fluctuations so it is hard to conclude how summer sales will progress.

Ecommerce, though, will play a crucial role, as online sales are still booming across categories. According to the government census Monthly Retail Trade Report, ecommerce sales are continually and monumentally increasing month to month. Year over year, the census noted a 10% increase in ecommerce sales for the month of January; the month of June saw nearly a 40% year over year increase.

There is a huge opportunity for online retailers to participate in this ecommerce explosion. With great opportunity, however, comes extra considerations. Retailers may struggle to ship products on time and keep their inventory stocked. There is an increasing pressure on business models to meet shipping demands. Having an early expectation of these struggles will help business leaders pivot accordingly. 

Ecommerce Metrics

According to our dataset, website conversion rates have not been as strong in June and July as they were in April and May. Conversion rates for the Food and Grocery retail category peaked in April, though are still higher year over year from 2019. Across categories, conversion rates have decreased since May, as competitors are becoming more aggressive and thus increase the choices presented to consumers. The Apparel retail category alone experienced a slightly higher conversion rate in July 2020 compared to June 2020. The initial surge and panic related to shipping times and inventory urged consumers to shop more quickly and impulsively. As the situation has calmed, shoppers are browsing and researching more.

Amazon is driving CPCs on Google. Since June 10, we have noticed Amazon aggressively advertising on Google. As Amazon is a big market mover, more business are also advertising for the same keywords as Amazon. CPCs for the Apparel, Gifting, and Home Furnishing retail categories have increased more.

eMarketer projects an estimated 7.4 million new digital buyers in 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic continually accelerates the digital trend and convenience of ecommerce. Majority of these buyers are in the 55+ age group, opening a new demographic potential this holiday season. 

New online shoppers have contributed a larger percentage of total ecommerce sales across our dataset, from 37% in 2019 to 41% in 2020. Online shoppers who started online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic have more purchase instances than pre-pandemic new shoppers. Once these new shoppers got over the initial hump of getting and shopping online, once that barrier had been crossed, they became more lively and active online shoppers. 

It is important to track the percentage of new online orders to total orders and the behavior of these new shoppers. Consider a new customer satisfaction survey to gauge the likelihood of their loyalty and how to pivot a holiday marketing strategy to encourage their continued business. Analyze customer’s paths to purchase to ensure a seamless online shopping experience and reduce friction points.

Further Observations and Predictions Regarding Ecommerce Sales

Ecommerce sales will continue to grow at over 30% year over year throughout the rest of 2020. Mobile will drive a larger and larger percentage of these sales; mobile sales have already increased 48-59% across categories. Throughout the pandemic, we saw retailers experiment with developing and testing mobile only offers to drive sales. Mobile sales are often impulsive and consumers may respond better to time-limited discounts on mobile. 

The dayparts of when people search, shop, and buy have changed for every retail category. When people have searched and shopped in January and February is different than currently, so we expect continued fluctuations for when they will shop during the Cyber 5 hours – especially as more retailers announced that their stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. 

There is so much uncertainty surrounding this holiday season, including how much incremental ecommerce revenue will be added. We estimate a range from $50 to $80 billion in incremental ecommerce revenue will be available, making the holidays a financially critical time. 

2020 Holiday Season

“There is no precedence, no historical background,” Bose said, regarding 2020’s upcoming holiday season. 

Holiday shopping could start earlier this year, possibly around October 5 to 6. The delayed Amazon Prime Day will influence the holiday season start, as the Amazon market drives trends. During the coronavirus pandemic, there have been numerous shipping delays, including by Amazon itself: Prime orders, which usually took ½ days, were now taking an average of 8.2 days to arrive. Therefore, customers will compensate for the spring and summer delays by shopping earlier in anticipation of the holidays. 

This holiday season, it will be important to connect the dots across a wide range of different scenarios and outcomes this year may bring. Retailers and marketers should have various holiday strategies. NetElixir is proud to announce our first virtual holiday readiness summit. Connecting the Dots: Holiday Readiness Summit for Retailers is a ½ summit that brings together preeminent retail industry leaders, channel marketing specialists, supply chain experts, and strategic thinkers from Google, Microsoft, UPS, Columbia Business School, and more. Through this webinar, we aspire to help retail and business leaders rethink their holiday approach and innovate new strategies to move forward during this unpredictable year. RSVP for this summit on August 13th to learn 10 key holiday takeaways for this year.

Read More On Retail ECommerce Sales During the Coronavirus Pandemic

You can join the conversation on social media using #NxInsights. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email us at shareinsights@netelixir.com.

For further reading, you can see our prior retail analytics updates on retail ecommerce and online shopping behavior:

• July 2020 so far: E-Commerce Updates During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• June 2020: How the Coronavirus is Impacting Retail Ecommerce 
• App Store Optimization
• Fashion and Apparel During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Road to Recovery: Lessons from Mid-Size Retailers
• Day by Day: Ecommerce Growth Across Categories

The post Navigating Through a Shifting Environment: Real-Time Data on eCommerce Sales & Online Shopper Behavior appeared first on NetElixir.