A Retailer’s Guide to the Last-Minute Holiday Shopper

20% of the U.S. population waits until the last minute to shop for holiday gifts. This presents digital retailers with the opportunity to appeal to those last-minute holiday shoppers. Meaning: the potential to see some of the highest ROI all year.

According to a 2017 report, 53% of consumers (126 million people) will wait until Super Saturday, the Saturday before Christmas, to do their holiday shopping. Of that 126 million, 51% will make their purchases online. Popular items typically include subscription services, gift cards, and digital product ordering, such as Groupon deals. These options are very popular since they don’t require shipping of any kind.

The holiday gifting season is the busiest for retailers and shipping companies alike. In the midst of such chaos, it’s easy for packages to be misplaced, damaged, or confused with countless other deliveries. Because of this, a last-minute holiday shopper relys heavily on non-shipping solutions that will reach their loved ones without issues. Retailers, this is where opportunity presents itself.

Offering simple gifting alternatives, such as gift cards, is crucial in order to appeal to the last-minute buyer. According to a 2015 National Retail Federation Survey, 93% of people in the U.S. purchase or receive gift cards, which has reportedly increased even more over the past three years. Digital product orders enable buyers to gift their loved ones something they may not have otherwise treated themselves to. With over 49.3 million active users, Groupon offers are extremely desirable with experiences ranging from local restaurant discounts to lavish foreign excursions. Finally, subscription services are a phenomenal fit for the procrastinating shopper looking to please everyone on their list.

With subscription services seeing an increase in growth over 100% YoY since 2015, it’s imperative for retailers to recognize this expanding vertical. All of these options offer digital, printable cards so that gift-givers are able to give something tangible to represent these digital experiences.

Last-minute shoppers are a crucial piece of the targeting puzzle during the holiday season. To maximize on ROI this holiday season, retailers must make the push for the last-minute shopper. Items that don’t require shipping such as subscriptions, gift cards, and digital product orders will prove to be most beneficial to retailers this season – make sure your business doesn’t miss out.

Sources:

National Retail Federation
Mageplaza
Statista
Forbes
Inc

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