The season is over now it’s time to do the holiday shopping review. Before retailers are closing the books on another year, but HOW DID WE DO IN 2017? With analysts still crunching final numbers, we’re here to give you a preview of the findings.
ECOMMERCE WINS BIG ACROSS CATEGORIES.
It’s safe to say that 2017 was the biggest boom for eCommerce sales to date. Ecommerce transactions across all retail categories between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday accounted for nearly 20.2% sales, compared with 18.4% in 2016. This number is big and will only get bigger for 2018 and beyond.
+ Fast fact: Most holiday purchases were done early, between November 1 – December 1.
How can you create a sell more furniture by having a great website?
ECOMMERCE TRACTION BUILDS FOR HOME FURNISHINGS INDUSTRY.
Online sales for large, personal purchases like furniture and home furnishings is still a developing sector of the retail marketplace, but consumers are buying. In fact, in 2017 online sales generated close to $36 billion and may push upwards of $41 billion in 2018 with a large portion of shoppers browsing and purchasing on their smartphones.
+ Fast fact: Augmented Reality, which allows consumers to visualize big-ticket items in their homes before purchasing, was voted the most compelling online tool in the buying process by 42% of consumers surveyed.
MOBILE FOR THE WIN.
With optimized websites, faster connectivity, and user-interfaces designed for mobile, eCommerce sales via smartphones has increased to 12.3% over last year. Retailers should prepare for a time when smartphones become the dominate device for online purchases.
+ Fast fact: Paid keywords are as competitive as ever and are getting more so with the rise of eCommerce and mobile shopping. It’s wise to diversify your Digital Marketing expenditures. In 2017 retailers spent $13.5 billion on Digital Marketing for posts on social channels, blog creation, and paid keywords.
MORE TO COME.
The sales cycle is getting shorter. Shoppers are becoming more efficient and move from browsing to buying at a quicker rate than in years past. As retailers offer eCommerce options for consumers, expect to see online transactions rise in 2018.
MAKE THE CHANGE.
WHAT DIGITAL CHANGES WILL YOU MAKE IN 2018 TO ATTRACT MORE BUYERS AND CLOSE MORE SALES?
Need help? Get in touch with us to talk furniture ecommerce website, and digital marketing strategy.