It’s a wrap! The holiday season — and 2021 as a whole — was an unpredictable and unexpected period. We saw significant shifts in consumer behavior and e-commerce trends. Many of the problems faced this year, such as shipping delays and inventory troubles, will persist into the new year. We quickly adapted, however, to meet customers where they are and streamline the shopping experience.
December 26 to 31, 2021 2022 Online Sales Summary
We anticipate moderate growth in e-commerce sales during the beginning of the workweek of December 26th. We forecast moderate growth of around 5% YoY Monday through Wednesday. E-Commerce sales will be primarily driven through post-holiday discounts to clear leftover merchandise.
At NetElixir, we consider this the “Me-Buy” week. Customers buy discounted gifts for themselves to either combat not getting what they wanted over the holidays or to treat themselves after shopping exclusively for others. However, as we saw during Cyber 5, if sales are not up to customer expectations, they most likely will not make a purchase.
Sales growth will flatten during the end of the week, as customers gear up for New Year’s celebrations.
What Can We Expect In 2022?
As we approach the new year, our CEO and Founder, Udayan Bose, has shared his 2022 Trends & Insights. A few key takeaways are:
- E-commerce sales fluctuations are becoming the new constant.
- Brands will adjust strategies to align with third-party cookie deprecation.
- Retailers should invest in building in-house insights labs.
Having a growth mindset is the most critical factor in succeeding next year. While 2021 has been a turbulent and often unexpected year, an agile marketing strategy and growth mindset allow us to create new opportunities as they arise. As the e-commerce landscape continually evolves to changes in consumer behavior and expectations, brands need to evolve too.
Brands need a holistic approach to their e-commerce business growth model instead of a strict channel-level focus. Your customer does not interact with your brand through only one channel. Customers discover your brand through a myriad of channels, from the standard digital marketing avenues of search and social to newer mediums like streaming and connected TVs. Consider the entirety of your customer’s purchase journey to meet them where they are. A holistic brand strategy across each channel will help customers connect with and recognize your brand.
Engage your audiences with authentic and inspiring stories. Customers respond to your brand for a reason. Provide them value at every turn to keep them engaged and to attract new users. It is easier to market to friends instead of strangers, so carefully monitor fluctuations in the shopping behavior of your key customer profiles. With a strong retention strategy, you can build a loyal customer base.
“Through the new year, we have to continually evolve our growth strategy. It is essential to adapt to new behaviors and needs of online shoppers and the role digital marketing plays in their journey. We have to add unique and novel value at all times. To thrive, we need to continuously experiment and innovate to be ahead of what’s new,” says our Founder and CEO, Udayan Bose.
Further Insights
Say no to average in the new year. Learn to identify, engage, and win high-value shoppers with NetElixir’s customer intelligence platform, LXRInsights. We’re leveraging our real-time customer insights to stay up to date with your consumers’ rapid changes in online shopping behavior. Our AI-driven model predicts the likelihood of repeat buyers and churn rate to help you retain your customers and turn them into loyal brand friends.
