Why Investing In E-Commerce Is A Must In The Fourth Quarter

In our last blog, we made it abundantly clear that it would be in the interests of all Canadian retailers to heavily promote their gift cards right away. With the fourth quarter of the year having officially started, we are entering the busiest shopping season of the year. Before you know it, holiday shopping will be underway! And gift cards are huge sellers during the holiday season.

Let it not be lost on you that online shopping is also about to pick up big time. Although it is popular all year round, online shopping heavily increases during the always-busy holiday shopping season. If your business has yet to invest in an e-commerce solution, there’s no time to waste! Don’t let the fourth quarter of 2018 pass you by without taking advantage of the extreme popularity of online shopping.

The popularity of online shopping increases every year in Canada.

Last year, an Angus Reid poll found that only 7 percent of Canadians have never made a purchase online. As revealed by Melody McKinnon on CanadiansInternet.com, the poll also found that 37 percent of Canadians make online purchases at least once per month.

“75% of those that do shop online said they spend up to $200 per month, and 10% claim they spend up to $500 each month!” reports McKinnon. Needless to say, it would be wise for all Canadian merchants to take advantage of the fact that their customers enjoy being able to make purchases from the comforts of their own homes.

Being mobile-friendly is a must.

Not all online purchases are made from home. In fact, there is a growing number of online purchases being made via mobile devices. Millennials are especially adept at using their smartphones and tablets to both locate and purchase their items of choice. On ValueWalk.com, Vikas Agrawal explains that a recent pfs Research Center survey showed that 17 percent of Canadians make online retail purchases with their mobile devices more than once a week.

“Approximately 22% of millenials report making a purchase from a mobile device and about 20% of 18-54 year olds made a purchase from a tablet,” writes Agarawal, “Millennials remain the reigning age group to beat in any given year. These consumers aged 18 to 34 are digital natives. They are comfortable integrating tech into their daily lives. They like shopping in anonymity, paying for purchases with a click, and getting packages fast.”

Take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

While sales numbers are likely to increase within the weeks to come, the months of November and December will see major spikes. This will especially come to light during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday events at the end of next month. Set for November 23rd and November 26th respectively, these days are known as the biggest shopping days of the year.

“Deemed an American shopping tradition, the annual Black Friday sales have gained increasing popularity in Canada in recent years with consumers eager to find a bargain,” notes Statista.com, “Consumers are using various channels on Black Friday to purchase their discounted goods, with 55 percent of consumers using Canadian websites and 58 percent visiting Canadian stores.”

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