New figures from MetaPack reveals that the Christmas peak will be later this year, more in line with the 2010 trend.
MetaPack’s eCommerce Tracker includes over 70 of UK’s top 100 retailers as well of hundreds small to medium enterprises. The “eCommerce Tracker” feeds real-time despatch information on customers’ despatching volume giving Metapack an unaparalled overview using data gathered from their Delivery Management solution.
“Consumer confidence is resulting in people leaving their Christmas shopping until later in the year. More online sales will move from November into December” explains Patrick Wall, MetaPack Founder and CEO. “There was mild weather last year and the delivery quality was generally high. Consumers are expecting the same this year.”
Christmas sales actually start in September. The interesting trend is how these sales then grow, not year-on-year, but week-on-week in the run up to Christmas. This week MetaPack expect week-on-week sales to increase by nearly 30% and the following week, increase again, by over 35%. The cumulative effect is an increase of over 150% between September and the end of November.
There is an overriding general trend, regardless of weather, for sales to move closer to Christmas, despite retailers encouraging people to shop early. “This is positive news for the delivery industry, showing the increasing confidence customers are placing in the retailers and parcel carriers to get their Christmas purchases processed and delivered to them in time. Now as an industry, we have to brace ourselves, focus and deliver for these critical six weeks” explains Patrick Wall.
Of course leaving Christmas shopping until the last moment leaves you the risk of retailers running out of stock. We’d still recommend you start your shopping early, although that’s more than a little hypocritical of me seeing as I’m an inveterate Christmas eve shopper!
3 Responses
I think this Christmas will be a bit of an odd time for online retailers as the way Christmas day sits on Tuesday will really rule out Christmas orders for nearly 5 perhaps 6 days before the actual day depending on how you post items to customers.
I have been thinking that perhaps a lot of online retailers will go into sale mode much earlier this year and perhaps before Christmas to generate sales in that few days before the big day when Christmas orders have died?
we are already suffering loss and problems
from royal mail employment of light fingered or unmotivated casuals
RT @tamebay: Christmas 2012 will be late says Metapack: https://t.co/sTVVIKzq