Blog

How brands can Handle the holiday season from the new normal

Summary

The holiday season in 2020 will be quite different in comparison to the preceding years. The global pandemic has changed how people shop for items. According to Selligent, 36 percent of respondents shop online , up from 28 percent pre-COVID-19. […]

The holiday season in 2020 will be quite different in comparison to the preceding years. The global pandemic has changed how people shop for items. According to Selligent, 36 percent of respondents shop online , up from 28 percent pre-COVID-19. This has resulted in $200.72 billion has been spent online with U.S. retailers in Q2, up 44.4percent year annually.

The surge of online shopping in the context of COVID makes sense, but what if everybody expect from the holiday season?

Amazon Prime day is a wonderful indicator of what to expect. In 2019 Prime Day has reached $7.16 billion in sales, and this season, while Amazon hasn’t announced its earnings, according to estimates, they’ve surpassed $10 billion. It’s beyond a reasonable doubt that retailers can expect a surge in online sales. But the holiday season won’t be restricted to online-only as based on the International Connected Consumer Index Report, nearly a quarter of the customers (24 percent ) say”they can not wait” to store in a shop.

See our products:

So how can businesses get the most out of the holiday season from the new normal?

To answer this question, We’ll look at some of the challenges that brands will face:

  1. Security concerns. When there are health regulations and requirements to ensure both sellers and staff security, the company might want to minimize interactions involving everyone at the point of sale.
  2. Ability limitations. It’s not a secret for anyone that among the critical KPI for a shop is revenue per square fit. While the floor area won’t change, as a result of restrictions, there’ll be fewer people allowed in-store, simultaneously putting the KPI mentioned previously under pressure.
  3. Differentiation. This year everyone will double back on the internet channel, so brands will need to go the extra mile to stand from the audience and grab shoppers’ attention. This includes the introduction of new unconventional channels and vacation season microsites.
  4. Increased volumes. With the increased volume of purchases through an online channel, effective fulfillment will be more crucial than ever before. Brands will need to be certain they can deliver products o their client within a reasonable timeframe and with no disruptions.

Addressing these challenges can help companies to get the most out of this opportunity. With the limited time before the holiday season begins, brands will need to act quickly, so large-scale implementation projects are out of the question, and there’s a need for solutions which could be deployed within a few weeks. Below you can find several solutions which could be deployed rapidly to address the challenges listed above.

Mobile Self-Checkout

Mobile self-checkout solution enables customers to fill out the shopping trip using their mobile phone. They can quickly scan a product, add it to the cart, checkout and pay for it with no interaction with in-house employees. And the entire process is done only through a web browser, without installing any native applications. This kills two birds with one stone. It allows minimizing if not remove contacts with sales employees, thus increasing everybody’s security and providing a superior shopping experience with clients not having to wait in long lines in an overwhelmed point of sale.

See also  Holiday eCommerce: How To Be Successful This Holiday Season

Related posts:

https://www.connectpos.com/best-magento-pos-system/

https://www.connectpos.com/top-payment-gateways-for-pos/

https://www.connectpos.com/pos-solution-for-sports-outdoor-retail/

https://www.connectpos.com/everything-about-pos-terminals/

https://www.connectpos.com/must-try-restaurant-growth-hacks-for-2021/

https://www.connectpos.com/how-to-make-the-most-from-working-from-home/

Curbside Pickup

One of the ways for brands to boost the efficacy of the in-store operations would be to use a curbside pickup. It helps clients to pick up purchased goods without entering the shop. The advantages of this approach are two-fold. You minimize the risk to your customers and sales staff. You’re making the most out of your retail locations, using them as the point of purchase, and changing it to the logistics hub for your company. According to Digital Commerce 360, the curbside pickup has gained considerable traction with 42.7percent of retailers offering it, in contrast to just 6.9percent in 2019, so be sure you aren’t missing out and inspect the video below.

Embedded Commerce

To stick out in the crowd, brands can start new microsites dedicated to a particular product line or this holiday season. However, it is not just about throwing a microsite. It’s crucial to make it transactional, which is where Embedded Commerce can help. This solution enables us to make just about any internet touchpoint shoppable within days. However, it is not just only about microsites. A new can quickly create a self-checkout encounter by embedding a purchase button to any touchpoint leverages web application. A touchscreen in the point of sale is just one of the possible use-cases.

Dropship and Fulfilment Automation

In this holiday season, there’ll be increased pressure not only on the sales channels but also on the operations. To meet customer expectations under increased stress of high volumes this year, manufacturers will need to streamline their procedures. This becomes especially significant in many business lines for many brands with unique sites, retail shops, and other touchpoints. Having one operations hub which automates inventory syncing, order routing, and transport may considerably increase operations efficiency, decrease costs, and enhance customer experience.

See also  East Coast Journey Completed Proper

More also:

https://www.connectpos.com/sports-outdoor-retailing-trends/amp

https://www.connectpos.com/top-7-strategic-technology-trends/amp

https://www.connectpos.com/retail-statistics-covid-19/amp

https://www.connectpos.com/top-5-accounting-software/amp

https://www.connectpos.com/speed-shopping-process-cut-buyers-wait-time/amp

https://www.connectpos.com/6-biggest-business-trends/amp