In a year of unexpected, planning ahead seems impossible. But, to connect effectively with customers over the shopping season from Black Friday through to the new year sales, it’s still essential.
To give you a helping hand, we’ve looked at the emerging trends and opportunities that every marketer should be aware of — from changing consumer behaviours to the new tools that will help you react quickly to ever changing circumstances.
HAVE A DIGITAL FIRST STRATEGY
According to research from the Office for National Statistics, online sales have accounted for over 30% of total retail sales since April this year.¹ Even when they’re shopping in-store, consumers are looking online – 2019 shoppers searched prior to 86% of purchases in the 2019 holiday season.²And while there’s a chance things could return to some sort of normality later in this year’s season, research conducted by Euromonitor suggests that by 2024, 53% of retail revenue will go to retailers that have a digital offering as part of their business models.³
What does this mean to me?
This should mean thinking online-first, but it isn’t as simple as opening up an online store. You should also consider making information more easily accessible across all browsers, devices and channels (Google My Business, Social Media etc.) including inventory, promotions, opening times, and stock levels.
RE-THINK YOUR CHANNEL MIX
Even before COVID-19, consumers were researching their purchases more than before, and using different channels to do it. Last Christmas shopping season, 79% of consumers used both YouTube and Search to look for products.4 Apps were also key to the shopping experience — 55% of consumers reported using them,5 with 38% using retailers’ own apps6 — and it’s likely we’ll see that the same trend continue this year as downloads of apps from Google Play rose 30% from February to March.7
What does this mean to me?
Use a blend of online video and Google display ads in your advertising mix to reach wider audiences. Use YouTube’s Find My Audience tool to help you understand who your most valuable customers are on YouTube – discover new audiences and learn how to reach them individually with relevant messages. Also, consider the role of an app that consumers regularly check throughout the Christmas shopping season, perhaps by introducing app-exclusive products or time-limited offers.
USE AVAILABLE TOOLS TO TARGET BETTER
Demand has spiked unpredictably across a number of channels this year. Nobody could have predicted that at-home haircutting or DIY home decor would prove quite so popular back in January. And while these kinds of trends might be hard to foresee, taking steps now will ensure you’re in a position to act on them fast as they emerge. Use Google’s Rising Retail Categories tool to understand what people are searching for – the fast-rising retail categories in Google Search, the locations where they’re growing, and the queries associated with them.
What does this mean to me?
You could start by upgrading your team’s skills with Google Digital Garage, a free resource to help everyone to get acquainted with the knowledge they need. And if you’re ready for something more large-scale, talk to your Google partners about your digital maturity and data strategies, using artificial intelligence, automation and machine learning to improve your modelling.
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