Christmas 2012 happy again for online stores?

The last weeks of the year are a hectic pre-Christmas shopping period for online stores. As in previous years, e-shops are looking forward to an increased number of customers. A survey conducted by Shoper shows that more than 35% of e-store owners expect better sales results than last year.

More than 35% of surveyed e-store owners say the pre-Christmas shopping season will bring them significantly better financial results than last year. One in four e-store owners estimates this year's turnover and sales results to be 25-49% higher than in 2011. 40.45% of respondents believe that the level of pre-Christmas shopping will be similar to last year. E-shop owners point to several sources for such optimistic forecasts. First of all, a better (more interesting) offer of stores than last year (nearly 55% of respondents) and also an increased number of people using the Internet, which is seen by nearly 17% of respondents.

What to tempt the customer with?

In this year's survey, slightly fewer, almost 59% of owners say they are preparing Christmas offers than a year ago, when it was 64.4% of respondents. More than 41% of online stores do not plan to introduce any offer at this time, as a reminder, in 2011 it was more than 35%.Among store owners, the most popular tool for encouraging purchases is a lower price, promotion - 68.4% of respondents indicated this very action. Last year this was a much lower percentage - 41%. As other unique offers for customers, respondents indicated both this year and last year: "discount for purchasing several products," "discount coupons," and "new products."

How to reach the customer?

Among surveyed e-commerce owners, the most popular solution is to invest in online advertising, and 52.4% of respondents declare it. This is a similar level as last year. Slightly higher than a year ago - with a score of 48.8% - are search engine SEO activities (43% of respondents in 2011). Slightly more respondents (41.7%) than a year ago (40%) plan promotional activities using social media. In 2010, these three solutions were also the most popular.

Concerns? Competition and economic downturn

In 2010, respondents cited the strengthening of direct competition as the main threat to e-commerce. In 2011, competition continued to play a big role, but the survey showed that the biggest obstacle to e-commerce could be the economic downturn (as much as 34.8% of responses). In 2012, on the other hand, e-commerce owners again pointed to strong direct competition (nearly 40%) and the economic slowdown (nearly 27% of respondents).

The Christmas shopping season in e-shops promises to be optimistic. The strategy of promotional activities prepared by the owners is sure to satisfy consumer expectations. The rich assortment of products, as well as new methods of delivery - fast and convenient for both parties - will make it possible to meet the expectations of even the most picky shoppers. Undoubtedly, it will be, as every year - an intensive period for online transactions. - says Krzysztof Krawczyk, President of DreamCommerce S.A.

Information about the study

Shoper, a leading provider of online store software, conducted a survey to find out the opinions and moods of e-store owners in the upcoming pre-Christmas period. The survey also focused on analyzing online stores' plans to develop their offerings, the use of promotional tools and the barriers hindering the further development of online sales. In this way, it was possible to identify the main trends in the field of sales and marketing activities in the upcoming holiday season.

The survey was conducted from 08.11.2012 - 27.11.2012 among online store owners representing various industries. 230 respondents took part in the survey. Responses were collected on the basis of a survey form, which included single-choice and multiple-choice questions.