New research from NetDespatch, provides compelling snapshot of the Christmas gift-buying season to come.
The study provides some interesting stats about the festive gift-buying season to come including how spending will compare to last year, how much consumers will be returning and the main frustrations associated with online shopping.
The research has shown that, unsurprisingly, online shopping is on the up with 88% of respondents planning to use the internet to make Christmas purchases. However, a quarter of respondents claim that missing a delivery is the top thing that irritates them about ordering goods from the internet. Therefore, in order for retailers to maximise on the opportunity that the growth of ecommerce presents this Christmas, delivery services must be as seamless and reliable as possible. Even if a failed delivery is the fault of the carrier, the retailer’s reputation is more likely to be compromised and business could be lost. Retailers need to be asking carriers for more support in this area because, ultimately, only the carriers able to offer retailers the level of service they require will survive.
The study, “Santa’s Using SaaS”, identified the following top online holiday shopping trends for 2014:
Internet shopping reigns – 88% of respondents are using the Internet for Christmas purchases. It’s estimated that £107 billion will be spent online this year
Hey big spender – 33% of respondents spent anywhere between £151 up to £500 on online shopping last Christmas and 37% expect to spend more this Christmas
Home rather than work – Over 85% of people who shop online would prefer home delivery, yet 75% work full time and 25% say missing a delivery is the most irritating thing about online shopping
Young people are more organised – 26% of 16-24 year olds plan to start Christmas shopping as early as September
Irritated consumers – The top three things that irritate consumers most about online shopping are: shipping costs (27%), missing a delivery (25%) and returning an item (14%)
Trust thy neighbour – Over two fifths (43%) stated that if they are not at home they would like their item to be left with the neighbour
A nation of book worms – Books are the most commonly purchased products (48%) followed by toys (40%) and technology (37%)
Prepare to be disappointed – Over a quarter (26%) of those surveyed who shop online said they wouldn’t make alternative arrangements for Christmas gifts that don’t arrive on time
You can download the full report as a PDF, which is crammed full of Christmas ecommerce information, including when people of different ages and sex intend to start their Christmas shopping.
