2018 Online holidayshopping predictions

November is now upon us and that means just one thing for anyone with an ecommerce website design – holiday shopping season and a major online sales push. As is traditional at this time of year, Adobe has released its predictions for the season before Black Friday and Cyber Monday hit full force. Read on to discover what you should expect as an online retailer in the weeks ahead…

1. Record sales figures Last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday smashed sales figures with Cyber Monday alone generating a colossal $6.59 billion in revenue, with mobile sales accounting for a record breaking $2 billion. This year, spend is expected to soar further still with Adobe forecasting a 14.8% increase year-on-year. What’s interesting is that 47% of shoppers will visit a store to a see a product this year before ordering it online. 2. Record Thanksgiving weekend An expected $23.4 billion will be spent online between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, with the five day weekend surpassing last year’s shopping spree by a notable 19.4%.Cyber Monday, which is the culmination of the five-day weekend, is expected to be the biggest online sales day in history, with $7.8 billion in e-commerce sales set to delight retailers.The busiest window looks to be between 7.00pm – 10.00pm on Cyber Monday. 3. Mobile will be a key driver of revenue and purchase decisions It should come as no surprise to learn that mobile is expected to be hugely influential this holiday shopping season (which is a very good reason to ensure your web design is thoroughly responsive), with 57% of traffic to retail sites expected from mobile devices.Nearly half of all site visits will originate from a smartphone, with tablets accounting for the rest. This year, smart home speakers might also be mentioned, with voice beginning to drive ecommerce sales too. 4. Social media won’t be a key revenue source As a retailer, you shouldn’t expect to make much money from social media this holiday season says Adobe. Since 2016, revenue from this channel has declined 11%, with a quarter of shoppers saying they don’t expect to use social media as a source of gifting inspiration. Search and direct traffic is predicted to be the most valuable. 5. Hot products will sell out fast If your online store sells a cult product, expect it to go quickly. 70% of all online sales will be dominated by just 1% of SKUs. Toys will be most in demand on Cyber Monday, tech gear like computers, TVs and tablets will dominate Black Friday while sporting goods will be popular on Thanksgiving.