Ecommerce Websites and The Week after Christmas

Santa´s Shopping Spree Continues The Week After Christmas

‘Twas the week AFTER Christmas and all through the net, the holiday spenders weren’t through spending yet. So true. And they won’t stop their spending frenzy  until January 2, according to statistics collected by Jupiter Research. Judging from past years’ holiday shopping statistics e-commerce sites could be positioned for a very strong finish. In 2005, retailers’ web sites experienced a 13% increase in visitors between December 15 and 31. The people shopping the week after Christmas are basking in the new found wealth of gift cards and holiday cash. The gift cards and cash are burning holes in their eager little pockets and your job is to help them spend it.

And this spending spree comes on the heels of a record-breaking holiday season for internet sales. Higher ticket purchases had a major impact on the average order value in several retail categories. So far this season, computer hardware has the highest average order value at $292, followed by consumer electronics ($153), video game consoles and accessories ($141), jewelry and watches ($128) and event tickets ($123). Research indicates that 93 million Americans have shopped online this holiday season. Holiday online sales will exceed the $100 billion mark.

Remember all that strategic planning you did in the months leading up to the holiday shopping season? It paid off.   “The strategy of luring procrastinators to sites with extended shipping guarantees paid off handsomely for online retailers,” said Greg Fulgoni, chairman of comScore Networks. “Consumers spent more than $243 million during the weekend of December 16-17, up 34 percent from the corresponding days in 2005. Monday, December 18, saw $525 million in spending which marked a 28 percent increase over last year. The first three days of the final work week before Christmas saw online sales up 35 percent over the same period in 2005. That we are seeing above average growth rates this late in the holiday season is clear evidence that consumers have strong faith in the ability of online retailers to deliver the goods.”

And the “Twelve Days of Christmas” isn’t just a song anymore. So far, twelve of the holiday shopping days this season marked sales above $600 million. One reason that this shopping season has been so successful is that retailers have been very aggressive with their online marketing efforts, targeting consumers with early season promotions. And now they’re looking to finish the season strong by tempting customers to continue shopping the week after Christmas.

This year retailers have sold $25 billion in gift cards, a six percent increase over last year. Is your site ready for this surge of online spending?  Talk to your web host to make sure everything is running at peak performance so these after Christmas gift card shopper will be satisfied and inclined to visit your site again in the coming year. This year a substantial number of gift cards were of the generic variety issued by banks so the money can be spent anywhere. Make sure your site is positioned to attract these customers and make certain that they have a superior online shopping experience. Many people who receive gift cards will happily exceed the card limit to get the item of their choice. A woman who receives a $50 gift certificate to Victoria’s Secret may purchase a pair of pajamas with the gift card and add some additional money of her own so she can get the matching robe. A man who receives a gift card may decide he wants a GPS device whose cost exceeds the amount on the card. And he will cheerfully ante up to get the exact gadget he prefers.

Hopefully, you have an outstanding web host who will make sure your site is tweaked and ready for the coming week. The right hosting service will be taking care of your online business so you can relax and enjoy a joyous holiday with your family. When you wake up Christmas morning and gaze at the array of gifts that Santa left under your tree feel secure in knowledge that he isn’t through shopping yet. Next week, Santa will be hitting the after-Christmas sales with a vengeance. Make sure you are ready.