Michael Guta says, “As Black Friday 2015 fast approaches, shoppers and retailers are getting ready for the single busiest day of the year. In the U.S. alone, $9.1 billion was spent by shoppers in stores in 2014, which doesn’t include online sales. However, a new survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics on behalf of the National Retail Federation (NRF) reveals almost half of holiday shopping (both buying and browsing) will be online this year. In the 10 years the NRF has been tracking this trend, this year’s projected 46.1 percent represents the high mark thus far for online... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “Do people prefer to receive Black Friday promotional messages on the day itself or beforehand? Is there a difference between how consumers engage with emails and Facebook posts in the week leading up to retailers’ big sales? To find out, Yesmail examined 2013 and 2014 data from 50 major retailers, including Macy’s Target, Best Buy, Toys R Us, and Nordstrom. The researchers examined marketing email and social campaigns deployed throughout the week leading up to Black Friday. Below, key findings from the report. Email Black Friday-themed emails had higher than... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “Black Friday has begun looking more like “Cyber” Friday for many online retailers, according to new analysis from Criteo. As mobile research and purchasing increased, retailers saw online sales on Black Friday nearly equal those of Cyber Monday last year. “The path to purchase for today’s consumer has evolved and, as a result, people are doing a tremendous amount of online shopping across all devices on Black Friday,” said James Smith, EVP, Americas at Criteo. “Sales on mobile especially have hit record numbers, according to 2014 data.” Mobile Sales Volume... [...]

Tom Tate says, “It’s that time of year again. And for lots of small businesses, that means making sure your emails stand out in a crowded inbox. Whether you’re running a special promotion, or just want to send a little holiday cheer, don’t miss this lucrative opportunity to connect with your subscribers. Here’s our checklist to make sure your next email campaign is holiday ready: 1. Check Your List… And Check It Twice Let’s face it: It’s probably been awhile since the last time you’ve done some list cleanup. Before you start sending, take the time to remove subscribers who... [...]

Katy Keim says, “It feels like we’ve just barely ushered the kids back to school, but the faint sound of “Jingle Bells” is already wafting through the air. Thanksgiving? An afterthought. Some brands are already airing holiday-themed TV spots or putting holiday decorations on display in-store. The holiday season is approaching — and it’ll be here in full force before we know it. At this point, you have two choices: 1) continue to fear the inevitable; or 2) make the necessary preparations to ensure that your brand, across all its customer touch points, is ready (and willing) take... [...]

Shelley Kessler says, “As the holiday season gets underway, it’s quite clear that mobile will play a major role in the consumer experience this year. For example, in our last Holiday Hot Sheet we found that 35 percent of all Website visits came from smartphones or digital tablets during the week ending October 17, 2015. And the number of mobile visits to retail sites is only expected to increase as we get closer to the holiday. Email engagement via mobile is on the rise Based on October 2015 mailings, we saw that 55 percent of email opens occurred on either mobile phones or tablets. This... [...]

Zak Stambor says, “A new Facebook report finds consumers are shopping across more channels and devices than ever. One of the social network’s executives says retailers are taking note. This will likely be the most complicated holiday season yet for marketers. 59% of consumers plan to shop differently than they did a year ago, according toFacebook research released today, including 40% who say they plan to shop more online this year. The research also finds 53% of consumers plan to shop across multiple channels and 37% plan to do most of their holiday shopping before Black Friday. As the... [...]

Zak Stambor says, “With 40% of consumers having already started their holiday shopping, the early rush of promotional messages makes sense, says one expert. While many consumers have yet to put away their Halloween decorations, online retailers are wasting no time focusing shoppers’ attention on their holiday shopping lists. Many retailers among the 100 large North American e-retailers Internet Retailer is analyzing as part of its ongoing coverage of the 2015 holiday season ramped up their holiday-centric email marketing campaigns this week. That isn’t surprising given that roughly 40%... [...]

Arie Shpanya says, “Retailers often go to great lengths to ensure the consumer’s path to purchase on their site is laid with gold bricks and pleasant surprises. Unfortunately, many allocate too many resources to the path and a meager amount to the destination. The destination, in this case, is the product search page, which contains relevant items and their prices. The price of an item can entice a shopper like the Emerald City or turn them away faster than a gang of flying monkeys“. Four reasons to get your pricing strategy in order before Christmas ‘Econsultancy’... [...]

SBT team says, “It’s important you use every outlet available when it comes to holiday marketing and advertising, but Facebook is arguably one of the most important. Social media in general is a great way to advertise no matter what time of the year, and Facebook in particular has made it easy for eCommerce companies to benefit through different Facebook Store options and features. The big question is of course how to actually setup a Facebook Store, but second it’s important to understand how you can optimize your ads for the best return. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy once you chose... [...]