What Solutions Providers Can Learn From The Verizon Retail Index And New Holiday Shopping Patterns
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Your merchant clients may respond to signs the e-commerce holiday shopping season is getting longer.
Michele Dupré, group vice president of retail, hospitality, and distribution for Verizon Enterprise Solutions, points out, “The post-Christmas market is as important, if not more, than the Black Friday weekend as we saw the highest traffic patterns of the season over the New Year’s weekend.” The Verizon Retail Index, shows e-commerce figures fell to 12 percent above average daily levels following the highs over the New Year’s weekend, and then to 9 percent above on Tuesday, January 5, and 8 percent by January 6. Meanwhile, mobile e-commerce traffic also returned to normal levels by January 5.
The index could mean that your retail IT clients will not necessarily be ending customer engagement strategies with the arrival of Christmas, and Dupré comments that this season’s “sneak peek” promotions before Black Friday appeared to be effective.
The Verizon Retail Index, which tracks broadband and mobile shopping patterns updated with data on average daily traffic patterns and peak volumes in the U.S., also supports the conclusions that Cyber Monday deals are no longer limited to one day as they once were. Dupré explains, “Days such as ‘Cyber Monday’ and ‘Green Monday’ are more like a typical day according to the traffic patterns we saw and are essentially being kept alive by retailers who only have an e-commerce presence.” The index shows that events that once took place on a single day are being replaced by “Cyber Season.”
Dupré offers insights on how technology can help your merchant clients during the holiday shopping season: “Effective online engagement by the retail industry and fail-proof website platforms are essential throughout the season. Widespread access to high-speed online connections also is not the issue it once was when ‘Cyber Monday’ began and today’s consumers are leveraging fast connections from the palms of their hands.”
She adds, “As more consumers use their mobile devices to shop and make purchases, their experience from start to finish has to be easy and seamless to keep them coming back for more.” These realizations point to opportunities for the channel to provide services, strategies, and devices to retailers to capitalize on evolving shopping trends.