As the Christmas shopping season gets into full swing, consumers are turning ever more towards a digital future to solve their festive shopping needs, according to global ecommerce consultancy Salmon.
UK consumers are now digitally shopping on average nine times a week and this is expected to rise over the Christmas period, Salmon explains. What’s more, consumers are increasingly embracing the convenience of mobile shopping to fit gift-giving into their busy Yule schedules.
In the run up to Christmas, Salmon has seen a bigger shift towards mobile traffic and orders. Since Black Friday, devices have led the way in online retail traffic, with 53% coming through mobile alone and 68% coming through mobile and tablets combined. Overall, there has been a 26% rise in average mobile traffic since 2015.
Salmon’s research also shows that over half (53%) of those polled say the biggest improvement technology has brought to their shopping experience is that it has made the shopping process “easier and more convenient”, with over eight million people (16% the UK population) using digital tech every day to shop. Half of those surveyed (49%) say technology – incorporating online, mobile and click & collect – has “made the shopping process faster”, as consumers turn to convenience to get their goods either at home or on-the-go. A further 41% say they are now able to shop from stores they can’t visit in person.
Salmon chief executive Neil Stewart commented: “As consumers turn more towards digital solutions to satiate their shopping needs and wants, we fully expect online orders – including mobile – to continue to increase over the festive period. We predicted correctly that this would be the first year where mobile overtook desktop during the ‘Black Fiveday’ period and we’re already seeing the same thing happening at Christmas this year. International orders are even expected to rise just like during the Black Friday period, when consumers took advantage of the weak pound.
“What’s clear for UK shoppers, though, is that they crave convenience and efficiency above all else. For Christmas, shopping online and through mobile especially is a time-saver and means that families can spend more time with each other instead of navigating the busy high street. Retailers must ensure they have strong back-end systems and a fluid supply chain in the run-up to the festive period to cope with the demanding holiday period.”
