Feedvisor has analyzed extensive data from last year’s Holiday Season, as well as patterns already observed this year, and in this guest post provides 6 predictions for the 2015 Holiday Season.
It is common knowledge that ecommerce sales increase during this period and drop sharply shortly thereafter, but getting a grip on more exact figures can help sellers better prepare for what’s to come.
Sales will reach their peak in December. Apparently people aren’t as organized with their holiday shopping as they make out to be! Sales will explode by more than 40% in December compared to November, and more than double in comparison to October (116%)! Sellers should ensure they have enough stock to cope with the jump.
Certain products will sell better than others on Black Friday.
While the number of orders and sales in general will increase by 65-70% on Black Friday this week, certain categories will fly! Toy sellers can expect a 130% increase in orders and a 140% in sales compared to the average daily sales in November. Computer electronics will fare even better, with an expected 210% increase in orders, and 230% in sales. Home and Garden comes in third place, with a predicted 80% increase in both orders and sales.
UK Sellers will experience a steeper sales increase on Black Friday than their US counterparts. Still a relatively new phenomenon in the UK, the Brits will shop till they drop on their third ever Black Friday this week. Sales will increase by a whopping 130%, and orders by 100%, compared to the daily average in November, which is more than double the 60% increase in sales and orders that the Americans will witness.
People will buy a wider range of products over the holidays.
It’s not just that people are buying in greater amounts during the Holiday Season, they’re actually buying a wider range of products. The second half of 2015 will highlight an 80% increase in individual products sold, compared to the first half of the year. Perhaps shoppers are searching for all sorts of different and unusual Christmas presents to surprise their loved ones with!
Profit margins will drop significantly at the turn of the New Year.
While it’s obvious and expected that the number of orders and sales will drop in the New Year (by approximately 45% and 50% respectively), trends from last year show that sellers’ profit margins also decrease substantially. This year profit margins are predicted to drop at around 85%. Perhaps sellers are overly optimistic with their estimation of Holiday Season sales and try to liquidate their inventory surpluses in January. Building an effective ‘post season’ strategy is equally important to properly preparing for the holiday season itself.
This year’s most popular toys are…
With all the new-fangled toys on the market, classic ones still reign supreme. The sharpest trends in sales already observed this year are in board games, building sets and action figures. We haven’t even reached the end of November yet, and we’ve already seen a 200% increase in building sets, 170% in board games, and 143% in action figures, compared to September.
