Ecommerce in Europe is preparing for the busiest time of the year: the holiday season. However, many businesses aren’t sure they’ll be ready for what the holiday season brings, reveals the Ecommerce Trend Report published by Packhelp.
Ecommerce businesses in Europe feel as though they could do more
According to the data sourced by Packhelp, the least amount of preparation occurred in Q2 and the beginning of Q3 (11%). Instead, it skewed heavily towards August-September (62%). Only about 27% of companies hold off on preparation until the October-November timeframe. Ecommerce companies in the UK are most likely to be among those that start preparing early in late Q2. Companies that tend to wait until late Q3 and early Q4 to get started are based mainly in France and other areas of Europe.
50% of all surveyed e-businesses claim that they have done some preparations, but it’s still not enough. 22% admit to being completely unprepared, 22% say they are somewhat prepared, and only about 4% confidently claim they are set for the season. While many business owners say they have quite a bit of work ahead of them, the level of preparation that’s been completed thus far differs significantly from country to country. 39% of all respondents that are not prepared at all are based in France.
Top strategies to drive more revenue during the holidays season
While businesses in Europe may be preparing in different timelines, their strategies to drive more revenue during the upcoming season orbit around the same tactics: driving awareness and fostering engagement to reach new audiences and turn existing customers into advocates. 27% of ecommerce businesses add new products to their range, 17% focus on growing social commerce, and 16% redesign or update online experience for their customers.
When it comes to incentives converting leads into customers, European ecommerce businesses bet on free shipping (24%), discounts (22%) and special add-ons to products (19%). While companies across Europe all plan to offer the first two incentives, those in France and the UK pass unique add-ons to products favouring special deals like 2-for-1 sales, which are more popular there.
Packaging for the holiday season
The study also revealed that the holiday season is not the time to skimp on fun and festive packaging. 81% of ecommerce companies state that they’ll either go all out and order Christmas-themed packaging (36%) or add special holiday details to spruce up the packaging they use throughout the year, like tissue paper and thank-you cards (45%). Just 18% of businesses feel comfortable sticking with their usual packaging.
Regardless of the design, 94% of ecommerce businesses in Europe agree that they should offer sustainable packaging. Various industries started responding to consumers’ increasing desire to purchase items and support brands that empower them to lighten their footprint on the earth.
Packhelp’s Ecommerce Trend Report 2021 Holiday Season
To prepare the Ecommerce Trend Report 2021, Packhelp surveyed over 400 ecommerce businesses in Europe. The selected group answered how they’re getting set for the holiday season of 2021 and highlighted key trends for ecommerce. Packhelp hopes that the insights revealed in this report can advise ecommerce businesses in their journey toward a prosperous year’s end.
To learn more about it, visit their website.
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing. As Modern Retail’s Content Editor, Holly is passionate about helping independent retailers to thrive in today’s ever-changing market.
