Bricks to Clicks: Mobile Drives Holiday Shopping

In this week’s Digital Marketing Q+A with Alex Kreitman, VP of Digital Marketing at Momentum Marketing, we recap Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping trends as the impact of mobile continues to change the retail industry.

Question: How did Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales compare to last year and how did online shopping impact those figures?

Answer: Sales were up across the board during the busiest and longest holiday shopping weekend of the year. The good news for retailers nationwide is that foot traffic was up 65% compared to an average November day, according to a Google report. The even better news for retailers? Online sales soared past forecast estimates with mobile devices driving more purchases than ever before.

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Question: Those results must mean that brick-and-mortar stores are here to stay then, right?

Answer: Well, traditional brick-and-mortar stores are still very relevant, but it’s the stores that play in the digital marketing space that have the real growth opportunity. Times have changed. The average shopper isn’t browsing inside a physical store quite as much.

Typically, when shoppers walk in the door they’re on a mission. They’ve done their research online, and they know what they want and how much they’re willing to pay for it. In some cases, they’ll even skip the store visit and purchase online.

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Question: How are people starting their shopping research online? Are they going to their local or favorite store’s website or app and then searching from there?

Answer: Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Sure, there’s still tons of value in name and brand recognition, but when we need something, we typically turn to search engines, like Google, first.

For example, I’m shopping for a Christmas present for my sister-in-law, who is a big Clemson Tigers sports fan. I might start on my iPhone by searching Google for “Best Christmas gift ideas for Clemson fans.” Then, out of the list of results I might click a few relevant links, look at a few products, and then a product strikes my attention. It’s a purple Nike running jacket with an orange Clemson paw on the front. My sister loves to run and loves Clemson, so it’s perfect. But, wait a minute, it’s $85 and our spending limit was $50.

Now, I might turn back to Google and search for “Purple Clemson Nike Running Jacket under $50.” This pattern of behavior would continue until I found the one I wanted to buy. Then, the average shopper would either purchase online right there, or if it wasn’t available online, but was at a local store like our Momentum client, Palmetto Moon, the shopper might go in store and purchase.

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These mobile moments happen in every purchasing cycle, and it’s important for retailers especially not only to show up in these micro moments, but also to be relevant.

 

Need an expert team handling your digital presence? Give Momentum Marketing a call at (843) 377-8450.