This Christmas shoppers will be using technology to hunt for the best deals

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/8-9

How, why and where consumers will shop this year in preparation for the winter holidays will be influenced by several general trends, which we have highlighted below, based on forecasts from Salesforce, Bazaarvoice, Bigcommerce and Salsify.

It is low prices of Chinese shopping apps that primarily attract Western shoppers

Free delivery

The instability seen in the Middle East in the first half of 2024 has had a negative influence on middle mile infrastructure through higher container and oil prices, while events such as the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore and rising transportation costs have increased the duration and cost of last mile delivery. Salesforce predicts retailers and brands will face USD 197bn in additional costs for middle and last mile delivery – 97% more than in 2023. However, free shipping is one of the top three reasons consumers buy from a brand or retailer worldwide, and more than half of shoppers say they would rather shop online than in-store if shipping is free. It may be a good idea to make reduced-price or free delivery a common practice for the 2024 holiday season.

The majority of consumers prefer clear discounts “on everything” to flash sales and package deals

AI assistance in gift search

It is estimated that predictive and generative AI influenced 17% of online shopping in the 2023 winter holiday season, which accounted for USD 199bn in online sales globally in November and December. While four out of ten people are wary of AI-generated social media content and perceive it as somewhat lacking in authenticity, consumers will increasingly use AI – consciously or not – to find the right gift at the right price. By their own admission, every second shopper would like to be inspired to find the perfect gift using generative AI. As online shopping has become more popular over the past few years and consumers have been able to shop from anywhere, the season also started earlier in November. Black Friday is now the biggest day for online retailers, with the majority of shoppers preferring to purchase online on Black Friday.

Salesforce predicts that seven out of ten consumers will shop online at this year’s Black Friday

Looking for a seamless omnichannel experience

Today the line between in-person and online shopping has become largely blurred, as shoppers are no longer really differentiating between the two, viewing them more as parts of the same shopping experience. So shoppers want “just the right mix” of in-store and online shopping. In the run-up to the winter holidays, they are switching from channel to channel – shopping on Instagram, then browsing through a few online stores until they eventually arrive at a physical store. Plus they expect the same seamlessness from the experience brands offer. In the 2024 winter holiday season Salesforce predicts that 2 out of 5 purchases will be made by a loyal, returning shopper. Retailers should therefore leverage loyalty data – customer profiles, preferences and purchase history – using it to encourage customer loyalty with exclusive benefits. //

In the 2024 holiday season, it is predicted that 2 out of 5 purchases will be made by a loyal, returning customer