Latest News
Multichannel marketing can help businesses prepare for the holiday season
While Labor Day traditionally signals the end of summer and the approaching crispness of fall, it also appears to be the time of the year when retailers begin stocking up for the holiday season. In fact, the number of cargo shipments into the U.S. in September is predicted to grow 5.1 percent over the corresponding month during 2012, the Global Port Tracker reported.
Although National Retail Federation Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold cautioned against using the number of imports to gauge the level of holiday sales, businesses are ramping up their stock of inventory in anticipation of seasonal sales. Meanwhile, eMarketer indicated retailers will likely be more dependent on multichannel outreach to consumers during the 2013 holiday shopping season. The largest demographics being targeted this year are baby boomers and members of Generation X, with retailers anticipating revenues of $39.5 billion and $41.7 billion from these age groups respectively, according to a study conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Individuals identified with these two generations are far more likely to have children, which increases the likelihood of spending during the holiday season.
Timing is also a crucial component. The marketing website emphasized the importance of November and December as the months during which businesses implementing an e-commerce strategy are most likely to generate the most revenue. Research indicated 23.7 percent of the estimated $262.3 billion gained through online shopping will occur doing those two months. This forecast has caused many businesses to give greater importance to mobile marketing, as tablets and smartphones are becoming more normalized resources for shopping.
However, Business 2 Community indicated direct mail is integral to improving digital marketing. Mailers that offer specialized savings for consumers, leading them to a digital platform to complete their purchase can improve return on investment. Businesses and retailers that implement a multichannel marketing campaign would be wise to invest in address verification software that allows them to more accurately deliver their messages to consumers.
