The festive season is finally here! While some brands are winding down their sales season after a stellar Thanksgiving week, shoppers aren’t ready to put away their wallets just yet. There is still a goldmine of sales opportunities in December that retailers can leverage to hit their target revenue numbers — and one of these key dates is Boxing Day.
But what is Boxing Day, and what are some strategies marketers can use to tap into the post-holiday market? Here are four key learning lessons from Black Friday and Cyber Monday that you can apply to the global holiday spectacle.
In the 19th century, the U.K. deemed the 26th of December “Boxing Day,” as merchants would receive gifts as tokens of appreciation for their services. Since then, Boxing Day has been turned on its head — now, retailers thank their customers by offering them massive deals. Strategically, it’s also the final opportunity for companies to clear unsold inventory, especially holiday-themed and season-specific ones.
The holiday is often described as the “Black Friday of U.K. sales” for a good reason — consumers spend upwards of 3.5 billion pounds on the day, with global traffic being 47% higher than Christmas Day.
This Black Friday and Cyber Monday, e-commerce reigned king as consumers opted to shop from the safety and conveniences of their homes. Online sales were 21.6% higher than that of 2019, which reached a record of $9 billion compared to last year’s record of $7.4 billion. We can confidently predict that this new digital behavior will be here to stay.
On Boxing Day, we’ll likely see retailers maximize this consumer preference towards e-commerce and generate an avalanche of promotional deals. But this is where it gets a little thorny — customers have become so accustomed to researching their purchases and comparing prices that if brands aren’t offering the best value, they’ll miss out.
To compete with other retailers, you’ll want to:
Pro tip: Consider adding a countdown timer to your promotional emails. It’s a great way to induce a little FOMO and pressure customers into taking action.
For more on driving last-minute holiday conversions:
This year, free shipping was the deciding purchasing factor for 49% of shoppers. Free shipping is no longer a bonus perk but an expected requirement.
Given the record number of packages traveling around the globe, don’t shirk on your fulfillment processes:
For more on holiday shipping:
With pandemic restrictions in place, in-store traffic decreased by 52% this Thanksgiving compared to 2019. But it’s not all doom and gloom — this means e-commerce retailers now have an opportunity to replicate the thrill of an in-person Boxing Day shopping experience.
Given that almost all retailers will be promoting slashed prices, you can differentiate yourself by the shopping experience, rather than merely offering discounts:
The options to drum up excitement are endless.
We’ve all been bombarded with promotional emails since October’s Prime Day. Since then, digital marketers have seen skyrocketing ad space prices and lower engagement rates. After all, retailers are fighting for consumers’ limited attention (and spending dollars).
As Boxing Day is only a one-day sale, make sure that:
For more on extending your sales streak into Q1:
‘Tis the season for eggnog, gifts, and sales galore — with Boxing Day serving as the final push for retailers to boost sales, increase brand awareness, and transform new customers into loyal ones. If you’re looking for more tools to wow shoppers this holiday season, check out how AdRoll can help.
Last updated on September 20th, 2023.