Retailers are already gearing up for another unpredictable holiday season. 2020 ushered in a massive shift to online and quick adoption of cross-channel features like buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS) and curbside. These consumer behaviors are here to stay. And so is this one— holiday shopping starting even earlier than in years past so consumers can avoid pandemic-related issues with out-of-stock items or long shipping windows.

What else can retailers expect?

More online shopping

According to a Quantum Metric survey on 2021 holiday shopping behaviors, 81% of respondents did more than half of their 2020 holiday shopping online and plan to purchase the same amount, if not more, of their gifts online during the upcoming holiday season. Two in three (62%) consumers plan to spend more than they had before the pandemic due to being able to see family this year.

More consumer spending

58% of retailers told Digital Commerce 360 that they expect consumers to spend more this holiday season as shoppers will be traveling and gathering more in 2021 compared with 2020.

Retailers cite increasing costs (48.4%), fluctuating consumer confidence (40.6%) and timely delivery (40.6%) as the top obstacles this holiday season.

More convenience

51.6% of retailers say BOPIS and/or curbside pickup orders will continue to increase since consumers have become more comfortable with cross-channel ways to get what they need quickly and safely during the pandemic.

More choice, better shopping experiences for consumers

35.9% of retailers will compete with Amazon and other top marketplaces by offering a unique or curated selection and expanded product categories. 43.8% of retailers are investing in customer experience. Raydiant’s 2021 State of Consumer Behavior Report found that retailers are investing to improve the in-store customer experience because they can have a big impact on online: 90% of consumers say they are more likely to return again, 61% of consumers say they are likely to spend more at a location and 65% of consumers say they are likely to spend more online with a retailer — if they have a positive in-store experience.

More ways for retailers to get Holiday 2021 ready

Working with an ecommerce partner like Rithum who can provide both the technology capabilities and expertise to help expand product assortment, deliver quickly and manage inventory can be a game-changer. With so much reliance on ecommerce channels right now, retailers need to do everything they can to ensure a good customer experience that enables consumers to shop the channels they want anytime, anywhere, find what they need and have it delivered fast and reliably.

At Rithum, we work with the top retailers to make holiday peak season a success handling millions of transactions and overseeing timely, precise fulfillment of orders.

We’d love the opportunity to work with you to make Holiday 2021 a very happy and prosperous season. Contact us.