- Over 50% of respondents claim that the holiday season will bring better or significantly better online sales results.
- 63% of participants declare investments in online advertising, and nearly 1/3 are focusing on promotion on social networks.
- The main incentive for using online store offers is price discounts (60% of responses) and new products in the offer (48%).
The survey results indicate that over 50% of respondents expect better or significantly better sales results than in the previous season. Among them, 20% predict that turnover will be up to 50% higher compared to the previous season. Nearly 29% of those participating in the Shoper study stated that sales results would remain at a similar level to the previous year.
– The growth of online stores often stems from the weaknesses of traditional retail concentrated in large and crowded shopping centers. Classic retail outlets usually focus on basic and most popular offerings – especially during the holiday season. Access to unique products while maintaining reasonable prices constitutes the main advantage of online sales – argues Rafał Krawczyk from Shoper.
Optimistic forecasts are motivated by respondents’ growing awareness of the benefits of online shopping (22.59%), the quality of the proposed offer (over 20%), increased internet penetration (over 16%), and better consumer sentiment (almost 13%).
Customer magnet
According to the respondents, the factors most strongly attracting buyers are attractive prices and a rich product range. Consistently following these declarations, nearly 60% of those surveyed intend to encourage customers to purchase by offering price discounts. 36% of e-store owners are considering granting discounts for purchasing multiple products, and one-quarter are deciding to offer discount coupons. Over 48% of study participants announce that they will enrich their store assortments before the holidays with new products and limited collections (over 13%). During the holiday season, online store owners strive to build their market position based precisely on the diversity of their offer.
– E-commerce managers realize that investments in store promotion are the key to building recognition. This is all the more important as nearly 42% of respondents cite growing direct competition as the main barrier to their growth – adds Rafał Krawczyk.
In light of the research, the main channel for reaching customers with information about new offers is the Web. Over 63% of store owners declare investments in online advertising during the holiday period, 37% decide to improve search engine optimization, and nearly one-third of respondents are focusing on promotion via social media.
Competition: healthy, but sometimes painful
The condition of the Polish e-commerce market is improving year by year. Our market is gradually catching up with Western European countries, but online store employees still perceive many barriers to their own growth. Among the biggest threats to online sales, respondents include the strengthening position of direct competition, customer caution in spending related to the economic slowdown, and the still lingering lack of trust from customers towards online trade.
– Fears of growing competition can, in consequence, be mobilizing for the development of e-commerce. After all, the growth of online trade stems from customer dissatisfaction with the offerings of traditional retail. Competitive prices, a unique offer, and good quality of order fulfillment are elements that influence brand value and customer loyalty – concludes Rafał Krawczyk.
A detailed report from the “e-commerce under a lucky star” study can be found on the website http://blog.shoper.pl/