Holiday Shopping Trends Go Digital

As a business owner, you’re undoubtedly aware that the holiday shopping season has officially begun. In fact, reports have come out that have indicated that Canadian shoppers plan on doing their holiday shopping early this year and many have already started. The Christmas rush isn’t what it used to be though. It’s crazier than ever before! But that’s all thanks to the internet.

On Forbes.com, Barbara Thau writes that digital shopping trends are all the rage this season. It goes without saying that the internet only grows in popularity every day – exponentially. Especially with the advent of social media, people are not just buying products online but they’re constantly talking about them online as well. Thau lists what she considers the biggest digital shopping trends in her article.

Connected Products. If the internet is so big, why not promote products that are directly connected to it? That’s what retailers will be doing more than ever, writes Thau. Is there any doubt that tablets, smartphones and laptops will be high on Christmas lists this year? The internet is driving what people want as gifts, while also being the way that people buy those gifts.

‘Thumb’ Shopping Madness. According to Thau, “Mobile commerce is poised to grow exponentially this holiday season.” She notes that many retailers find that their customers view email promotions on their mobile devices before actually making their purchases. And apparently “tablet users are twice as likely to purchase an item using their device compared to a smartphone owner”. So says comScore, at least.

The Amazon Effect. The reason retailers are tending to send out personalized emails is because they know how popular online shopping is. If consumers are interested in a product and it’s as easy as clicking on a link in order to buy it, why wouldn’t they? Most marketing messages, it seems, are directed towards this type of call-to-action. Making use of your emailing list this Christmas will greatly increase sales.

Twitter Talk, 24-7. Writes Thau: “Just as smartphones and email have created the very modern expectation that employees, friends and loved ones be available 24 hours a day, more and more, shoppers are looking for a similar round-the-clock accessibility from the retailers they shop.” Be mindful of what people are saying on Twitter. People talk. Encourage them to talk favourably about you!

Advertising On Social Networks. With that said, it only makes sense to promote your brand using Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. With so many people using these sources to communicate on a daily basis, it’s imporant that you do the same. These days, if you’re not using social media, you’re practically non-existent in the online world. Don’t be left out this holiday season.

At Canadian POS Corporation, these trends excite us. This is because we know that all of the trends listed above involve credit card usage. To sell your items online, it is imperative that you accept credit cards. Make it easy on your business to cash in on these increasingly-popular holiday trends this year. For your POS terminal, contact Canadian POS Corporation at 1-877-748-2884.