By Rick Chavie, VP of OmniCommerce at hybris
Most U.S. retailers are focused on ramping up sales during November and December, especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, international retailers need to develop a global sales strategy and prepare for other peak holiday shopping days that can generate seasonal revenue and attract new customers to their brands.
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For example, the Chinese New Year (January 31) will see a surge in retail sales as families splurge on gifts, food and celebrations. Chinese retail sales grew nearly 15% last year during the Chinese New Year, and the industry expects this holiday’s upward trend to continue in 2014 and beyond.
As omni-commerce makes it easier for retailers to expand internationally, it’s critical to have a comprehensive holiday plan in place that extends beyond the U.S. holiday timeframe and caters to overseas shoppers.
Here are three critical components retailers should incorporate into their international sales strategy this holiday season:
1. Localization
Localizing brand messages and content is critical when expanding into global markets. This includes product descriptions, local currencies, languages and taxes. If your site is only offered in English, you will miss the opportunity to increase revenue and build brand loyalty with a large segment of online, international consumers who require or prefer to shop in their native language.
To successfully localize your content for a new market, brands must have a strong understanding of local habits, preferences and traditions in different markets. Thoroughly research each holiday to make sure you’re not delivering offensive or insensitive messages to your international audience.
It’s wise to enlist the help of a localization expert with an up-to-date knowledge of local cultures. With many subtle differences across languages and cultures, it’s difficult to effectively tailor your site to new markets and convert new visitors into buyers without the help of a professional.
2. Personalized, Timely Offers
More shoppers are comfortable searching for bargains abroad. Retailers have a significant opportunity to use holiday promotions to reach potential customers and bring in new business year-round.
Be sure to personalize recommendations based on previous searches, buying history or social media activity, in addition to your broader holiday promotions. Pay attention to and capitalize on the latest holiday trends and offer shoppers deals based on the most popular purchases this season.
3. Delivery & Fulfillment
International delivery and fulfillment can cause headaches for retailers without adequate planning, especially in a new market, and these issues vary in complexity depending on the country.
Retailers must investigate delivery, shipping and logistics requirements well in advance, and consider employing alternate delivery methods when necessary. For example, many retailers that ship to rural areas in China often enlist the help of couriers when traditional trucking and logistics routes are not an option. If you have a brick-and-mortar location, explore in-store pickup and return options for added convenience.
Planning is the crucial element — you will need to sort out your shipping arrangements to give customers an accurate delivery timeline. Nothing damages brand credibility and loyalty more than delivering a package after its promised date, particularly during the holidays.
When combined with a robust omni-commerce platform, these strategies can ensure your site is ready to handle an uptick in traffic from all over the globe. As long as you take the time to prepare and reach new markets ahead of the holiday season, you can open the door to new customers and long-term sales growth throughout the year.
Rick Chavie is Vice President, OmniCommerce for hybris. He is responsible for creating the OmniCommerce vision and technology platform that enables seamless customer experiences across digital and physical touch points for global and mid-market companies in all major industry verticals. Chavie brings more than 25 years of industry experience including leadership roles at retailers such as The Home Depot and C&A, where he led transformation and growth programs. He has also held executive roles in technology, which include leading the global retail and wholesale business at SAP and leading global marketing and solution deployment for the retail and hospitality business at NCR. He has also served clients across the major retail and wholesale verticals, including hardlines, softlines, and food, and branded consumer manufacturers in his partner and leadership roles at Deloitte and Accenture.
