By Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief
Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Small Business Saturday. Sofa Sunday. Singles Day. And what about Free Shipping Day? This year there already are more than 225 retailers participating in this promotional day that started in 2008.
To me it’s all become too much. It feels like almost every day, starting before Halloween, is some special holiday shopping day. It just doesn’t feel “special” any more.
Harvard Business Review (HBR) supported my feelings in an article titled, Why Retailers Should Retire Holiday Shopping Season. In addition to the oversaturation of “special” sale days, retailers are faced with a number of other factors that should motivate them to rethink their hyper-focus on holiday sales, according to HBR:
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- Consumers don’t want retailers to dictate their shopping schedule;
- Price-sensitive shoppers are shifting purchases to January, when they believe they’ll get even better deals;
- Shoppers are spreading out their purchases throughout the year, rather than during targeted calendar dates;
- Many consumers go out of their way to avoid the potential frenzy of hot shopping days — both online and in-store; and
- Free shipping doesn’t motivate holiday sales, since it’s become an almost ubiquitous retail offering.
Additionally, taking some heat off the holiday season can help improve the internal culture at retail companies. “Anyone who has worked for or with a retailer knows the toll the holiday season takes on corporate culture, with employees expected to work long hours, endlessly trying to keep their finger on customers’ pulse and scrambling to make last minute changes,” the HBR article reported.
Current consumer attitudes around shopping also should prompt retailers to reset the way they approach their businesses every day — which will naturally help improve sales during holiday and seasonal periods:
- More consumers are more interested in experiences over things;
- Social and environmental causes are motivating consumers to choose one brand over another; and
- Building a personalized, one-on-one relationship with shoppers will help sustain a retail company’s long-term viability.
Some key statistics that further reinforce a change in the approach to holiday sales and marketing come from the Consumer Holiday Shopping Report. It features survey results from more than 2,000 U.S. adults, and is commissioned by NerdWallet and conducted by Harris Poll:
- 65% aren’t sure whether they’re getting the best deals during the holidays;
- 64% think all sales held throughout the year are somewhat the same; and
- 29% of shoppers report feeling stress while doing their holiday shopping.
