This year, holiday shopping starts much earlier than before

By: Trademagazin Date: 2022. 11. 03. 12:25

Holiday shopping starts earlier and earlier every year, as a significant number of consumers believe that early discounts are a good “deal”. On the other hand, there are those who start shopping months in advance in order to stay within their budget – says Bogdan Colceriu, head of Frisbo, which deals with e-logistics services. According to a report by Google, in 2021, 21% of EMEA (Middle East, Europe and Africa) shoppers started their holiday shopping as early as June.

This year is a little more special. According to a study published by Salesforce, in 2022, 42% more people will start buying gifts well before the holiday season. The rationale is simple, inflation is rising and consumers fear that products will be more expensive in December than in late summer or early fall. This may seem favorable to online sellers and web stores, but the early “rush” also involves logistical difficulties.

“This year holds many challenges for retailers. One such difficulty is the early depletion of inventory due to premature growth of prime demand. Concerns about a lack of supply are growing by the day, despite the fact that the start of the peak period is several weeks away. Experts fear that by the time the regular holiday shopping season begins, the “online shelves” may be almost completely empty. In addition, running out of stock too soon drives customers to competitors, which means that online stores miss out on a great revenue opportunity.”