Have you started your holiday shopping yet? There are exactly 50 days until Christmas, so if you haven’t, it’s time to get moving. Did you know that about 42% of holiday shoppers will buy most, if not all, of their gifts on Amazon this year? This statistic was derived from a global survey of 2,500 shoppers in the US, UK, and several other countries. During the holiday season, 32% of consumers will start their search on Amazon, followed by Google (18%). For the majority of the year, consumers typically start on Google when they do not have a specific product in mind.

The Shopping Cart

Amazon’s competitors may feel threatened by these aforementioned stats, but 47% of people “will buy few or none” of the gifts they find on Amazon. Also, not all shopping categories are equal when it comes to shopper’s patterns and preferences. In apparel, shoppers are more likely to visit a brand or retailer website than Google or Amazon. Consumers also tend to visit stores in person to shop for furniture and apparel before they make a purchase online.

Social Media

Social Media is going to play a huge role this year in influencing product purchases for the holidays. Social media traffic to e-commerce websites has doubled in the first half of 2019 compared to 2018. Influencer marketing will also have an impact on retail sales, with 52% of shoppers clicking on influencer posts.

Competing with Amazon

Wondering how your business can measure up to Amazon? Generate great content; for example, create holiday gift guides for visitors to your website. It is also vital during this time of year to make sure your customer service team is on top of their game. Use paid search to place ads on Amazon’s website and use social media marketing as well. Amazon has a huge inventory of products and offers great speed and convenience. However, they are lacking when it comes to product education, how-to guides, and inspirational content. Retailers should keep this in mind when coming up with strategies to prepare for the holiday shopping season. Keep your shopping experience personal with content and service.

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