‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost biting at your nose…’
Perhaps not quite the case in Australia, where it’s more BBQs, beach days and soaking up the sunshine – a far cry from the Christmas season I grew up with in the UK! December isn’t quite the same here without an abundance of comfort food in every room and the smell of mulled wine wafting through corridors ready to fend off the bitter cold. Thankfully, there are more than a handful of Australians who celebrate the festive season in July. Those ever-so-corny Christmas classic songs don’t seem so out of place in the mild winter-y climate! Crazy you may think? But the reality is, for retailers, the festive period really should be on our minds in July.
Australian retailers are battling it out, both in the shopping malls and online. Consumers will be making their decisions on where they shop and what they buy based on; convenience, price, range, reviews, descriptions and availability.
Like most people, I choose to steer clear of shopping centres during any major shopping period. It is no wonder that online sales are growing significantly year on year – even if it is just to avoid those same four Christmas carols on repeat. Online marketplaces make it easy for consumers so it is no surprise to see their year on year growth of 31.2% in Australia according to the Australia Post. This is fueled by the consumer demanding a wider range at affordable prices and have them delivered well in advance of Christmas Eve (or the July equivalent!). With 80 of Australia’s top 100 retailers on eBay it’s unsurprising that eBay accounts for 44% of Australia’s inbound e-commerce purchases.. On top of that, Amazon Australia is now boasting a product range of over 100 million items and offer their hassle-free Amazon Prime delivery service. It is clear to see why Australians are turning to marketplaces to spend this year.
It’s because of this trend that not selling through these marketplaces – not to mention Catch, MyDeal and digital feeds – is unthinkable! This is where Australians are searching for festive products or inspiration for a huge variety of gifts and shopping essentials. So what should I do to help my own business?
Here are a few top tips to help you get set for successful Christmas sales in 2019:
- Make sure you are everywhere that your consumers are looking for your products.
- Ensure that your logistics are meeting consumer demands.
- Marketplaces are growing at a quicker rate than commerce, if you’re not there then it’s likely that your consumer is buying your competitions products.
Act now and reap the rewards for a big November, according to Australia Post, 15% of all e-commerce transactions took place between November 11th and December 15th. Over the last few Christmases, it has been seen that November sales are outperforming December sales, this has been driven by early promotions and smarter shoppers.
At ChannelAdvisor we help you meet the demands of the ever-evolving consumer and are on hand now to speak to you, to make sure you are set to capitalise on the festive seasons.
The time to act is now, it won’t be too long until we are reflecting back on 2019, so let’s talk Christmas…in July.
We’ve compiled the most important dates you need to know between July and December 2019 on this exclusive Essential 2019 E-Commerce Calendar. Print it, hang it and reference it. Get prepared, strategise and stay organised as you navigate the second half of 2019, leveraging every opportunity that comes your way. Download now!
