Consumers expect to hear knocks on their door from delivery services well into the holiday week and for no cost at all, according to Deloitte's 30th annual holiday survey of consumer spending intentions and trends. In fact, free shipping is the top priority for shoppers when it comes to retail policies, with 72 percent of responding consumers planning to take full advantage of the perk. Nearly 9 in 10 shoppers (87 percent) prioritized free shipping over fast shipping (13 percent) when purchasing gifts shopping online.
With a quarter of holiday shoppers planning to spend more this year than last, retailers can start to celebrate. In its second year of research into holiday shopping plans, analytics company SAS polled 3,458 consumers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. The U.S. led spending growth with 29 percent of consumers saying they'll spend more. Canadian shoppers, on the other hand, are tightening their budgets this year. Millennial shoppers (ages 18 to 29) are most likely to up their spending this year, while older consumers are tending to stick with last year's budget.
Sixty percent of Americans created or used an online account with a retailer in the last 12 months, which suggests convenience ranks top-of-mind for U.S. shoppers, according to Worldpay, a global payments company. In fact, 47 percent said they create online accounts because it is quicker and easier to shop.
European adults have experienced a high number of problems with online orders in the last 12 months, according to data from the JDA/Centiro Customer Pulse Report.
While cash remains king at the point-of-sale, a variety of other digital payment methods are preferred by consumers, with 25 percent of all smartphone owners now using mobile wallets.
There's a glaring gap in today's omnichannel world. Or perhaps it's best described as a blind spot. In either case, as manufacturers, retailers and 3PLs invest millions of dollars to provide a truly seamless, fully integrated buying experience, many continue to overlook the significant costs and complexities of the "final mile" between DC and the consumer's front porch.
Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of office supplies retail and wholesale giant Staples Inc., has relaunched StaplesAdvantage.com to make it more accessible and useful to large and mid-sized businesses.
Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers are spending an enormous amount of money, energy and time to improve their omnichannel sales capabilities, yet a JDA report reveals an unexpected and disturbing fact: despite these significant investments, only 16 percent of companies say they can fulfill omnichannel demand profitably today. Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers are spending an enormous amount of money, energy and time to improve their omnichannel sales capabilities, yet a JDA report reveals an unexpected and disturbing fact: despite these significant investments, only 16 percent of companies say they can fulfill omnichannel demand profitably today.
Best Buy Canada, a subsidiary of Best Buy Co., announced it is consolidating the Future Shop and Best Buy stores and websites under the Best Buy brand and unveiled a plan to build a leading multichannel customer experience.
