News reports on supply chain shortages are fuelling consumer concerns that their Christmas purchases will not arrive in time for Christmas, according to Emarsys’ new ‘All I Want for Christmas’ research.
The research found nearly one-third (30 per cent) of Australians are concerned their purchases will not arrive on time. Additionally, two-fifths wished for more time to think about selecting and purchasing presents this holiday season.
However, given the significant disruption of the global supply chain caused by Covid-19, consumers cannot afford the luxury of time and 14 per cent are worried they will end up panic buying.
Other major concerns include overspending (22 per cent), leaving Christmas shopping too late and missing out (20 per cent), and their gift falling short of expectations (11 per cent). When asked what makes the Christmas shopping experience less enjoyable, consumers revealed lack of inspiration (40 per cent) and general lack of personalised ideas (37 per cent) to be the leading deterrents. On the flipside, the biggest factors giving consumers confidence to buy Christmas gifts this season are ideas from retailers (44 per cent) and a personalised shopping experience (23 per cent).
“These findings highlight the growing consumer expectations of personalised services,” says Adam Ioakim, managing director, APAC at Emarsys.
“With the busiest shopping period of the year almost upon us, it’s vital marketers and retailers understand what consumers want, how they shop for Christmas and their frustrations. Our research revealed consumers are looking for more ideas from retailers, so to create more enjoyable experiences for customers, retailers must have the right tools in place to target them with the right incentive, at the right time and on the right channel.
“Services such as wish lists can appeal to the online consumer journey and keep customers engaged in the gift-buying process,” he adds.
CUE Clothing, an Emarsys customer, has successfully implemented a new industry-first multichannel wish list initiative to remain engaged with their customers and continue offering them value this holiday season.
“Our personalised, multichannel wish list service offers personalised communication with customers, tracking the styles they love while they are in-store and online shopping and then notifying them when their favourite styles are nearly sold out, on sale or back in stock,” says Shane Lenton, chief innovation officer at CUE Clothing.
“We want to drive value for our customers this Christmas season and provide them with a seamless experience while reducing friction for our retail teams.”
Personalised Christmas wish lists will not only appeal to consumers’ confidence when shopping this holiday season, but also cater to their biggest Christmas bugbears including guessing what people want (38 per cent) and buying an item for the sake of it which won’t be appreciated (29 per cent). Additionally, consumers prefer to be told what gift to buy (32 per cent) and want to be more thoughtful with their gift choices this Christmas (31 per cent).
Another Emarsys customer that has cracked the code in offering personalised services is Brauz.
“While there is convenience in online shopping, the online consumer journey is changing and consumers expect the same level of service and authentic interactions whether they are shopping in-store or online,” says Lee Hardham, founder and CEO of Brauz.
“Brauz’s virtual shopping appointments create a personalised shopping experience by allowing customers to connect with stylists in-store to view items they’re interested in and receive personalised recommendations.
“Virtual appointments are seeing an average order value up to five times higher than traditional online sales. Shopping habits are changing, and we need to be able to meet customers where they want to shop. We are able to do this by creating a more personalised and convenient shopping experience that doesn’t compromise service.”
