Online Retailers Prepare For Holiday Season Shopping Peak

E-commerce keeps enjoying strong momentum, with sales of all types of products staging an impressive rise over the past 12 months. Online shopping is predicted to top $963 billion by 2013 on a global scale, which gives retail brands that are present online a golden opportunity to boost income, Independent Retailer reports.

According to a poll conducted for Pitney Bowes, books and clothes are the top two items bought online over the last 12 months, and 25% of the respondents said that they purchased more of these products. Magazines, shoes and electronics are also among the top five picks of 4,000 customers in the US, France, Germany and the UK. Products such as health supplements, pet food and accessories, gardening products, DIY products and crafts were the least added in shopping baskets.

In particular, online shopping is the most popular choice during holidays. The appetite for e-commerce is also triggered by the increasing use of mobile technology, which has a significant impact on buying habits.

In order to fully benefit from the spike in customers’ online engagement during holiday seasons, Pitney Bowes is advising brands to provide them with a rounded shopping cart experience through the use of all e-commerce techniques and tools available. Holiday campaigns also prove more successful when spread across as many channels as possible.

In addition, brands should make sure that customers face no difficulties in terms of returns and customer service. They will also show higher brand loyalty when communication is based on previous points of contact and messages arrive at the right time.