The end-of-year sales surge marks the busiest time of the year for many brands, with consumers ramping up their spending across categories. For many businesses, seasonal campaigns are already underway – and they can last well into January.
Peak season can be an especially challenging period for marketers. Along with a greater wealth of opportunities comes heightened pressure and a greater risk of missteps. Capitalising on trends while maintaining a seamless customer experience is a delicate balance. Below are five key trends shaping the 2024 peak sales season.
Implement a seamless omnichannel strategy
A successful omnichannel strategy provides a seamless experience for customers as they move between channels and devices. Whether they are browsing a brand’s website, using the mobile app, visiting a store, or talking to a business representative on social media, they should be able to pick up exactly where they left off each time.
“Multiple purchasing avenues capture sales from customers with varying shopping preferences. They also help guide customers on their shopping journey, as channel relevance can also vary,” says Karol Tokarski, ecommerce director at Komputornik, a computer equipment brand.
For instance, while email marketing is an effective way to maintain strong engagement with existing customers, the high open rates of SMS messages can make them ideal for last-minute offers and reminders.
“Marketers are seeing SMS become a communications channel where shoppers know they’re going to get the most convenient, curated and reliable mobile experience from brands,” says Georgina Little, head of retention and loyalty at Inkey List, a skincare and healthcare brand. “The immediacy of the channel means we can use fewer resources and be agile in different strategies across SMS and email, improving overall performance.”
Integrating data from across these channels can provide marketers with a holistic view of the behaviour and preferences of their customers. This means they can use more effective, targeted messaging that is more likely to lead to conversions.
Personalise offerings
The rise of advanced analytics is allowing organisations to collect more targeted data than ever before, which opens up more opportunities than ever for personalisation. “Instead of engaging in price wars, it’s more strategic to focus on enhancing the customer experience and optimising support throughout a well-planned purchase process,” explains Tokarski.
Personalising offerings involves using customer data to tailor promotions or products to specific groups, and implementing automated communication systems that send targeted notifications and offers based on customer behaviour. It also involves providing mechanisms for customers to control their engagement, such as notifications for product availability, wish lists and price alerts.
Start sales early
If it seems like holiday sales are starting earlier each year, that might be because they are – and for good reason. Customers are increasingly spreading out their holiday spending, and most US and UK holiday shoppers will start before Thanksgiving this year, with 27% planning to start buying holiday gifts as early as October, according to an April 2024 survey by Salsify.
“Customers don’t want to wait until Black Friday to start their holiday shopping, so we’re kicking off our site-wide sales events much earlier,” explains Macy Kelman, digital content and engagement specialist at Church Hill Classics, an ecommerce store specialising in college diploma and certificate frames.
Church Hill Classics began its holiday shopping season in mid-October with the launch of its “buy early” tiered shopping initiatives. In early November, it will roll out its “buy now, gift later” messaging, before launching its official Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday savings campaigns at the end of November.
“We’ll then push guaranteed holiday savings until our cut-off ship date in mid-December, and then promote eGift Card savings for last-minute shoppers,” says Kelman.
Utilise AI-driven tools to drive engagement
In 2024, AI-driven tools have shifted from being a novelty to a necessity for many businesses. According to research by Salesforce, only 3% of organisations lack AI plans. Between November and December last year, 17% of all holiday orders were influenced by AI, contributing to a total of $199bn in sales. AI influenced $51bn in sales for Cyber Week alone.
AI tools can help businesses to increase productivity like never before. They can analyse vast amounts of data to identify patterns such as customer purchasing habits, behaviour, browsing history and the level of interaction with marketing materials. Meanwhile, advanced predictive models can use this data to forecast customer behaviour.
The sophistication of this technology allows businesses to uncover insights that human marketers may miss. This means they can segment customers more appropriately, and target them in the most meaningful way possible.
Prioritise authenticity
Harnessing the benefits of AI while retaining an authentic human touch is a difficult line to walk. While AI offers many advantages, the shift from human-driven customer service to AI-powered interactions risks diminishing the authenticity of the shopping experience. Organisations must find ways to balance this increased efficiency with the personal touch that keeps customers coming back.
Kelman explains that using video has helped the organisation stand out in today’s “increasingly competitive” market. “Our best-selling items are collegiate diploma frames, so video of graduates and their families celebrating this major milestone in their lives has strong emotional appeal,” she explains.
“Instead of stock photography, we’ve opted for user-generated content, real photos and reviews from actual customers,” she says. “Authenticity matters in today’s marketplace and builds trust.”
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