1、CHRISTMAS 2018:TODAYS SHOPPER INTRODUCTION Retailers seem to be under ever-increasing pressure to achieve growth against a backdrop of rising inflationary pressures and persisting economic and political uncertainty. At the same time, the industry itself is throwing up challenges of its own the might
2、 of Amazon, and consumers able to easily compare prices to find the best deals online. Not only that, but there is greater uncertainty as a huge proportion of total annual sales happen in a short window despite the appeal of Black Friday and Cyber Monday fading, they are being replaced with flash sa
3、les for loyal/subscribed customers. There is also uncertainty around the many goods that will be returned during the Christmas season this can be costly for retailers and squeezes margins further. The challenge is how to capture sales during this short peak period when retailers are faced with the u
4、npredictability of many different types of shopper, many of whom admit they are more price sensitive than they were a year ago. Somehow retailers need to get a better understanding of customer behaviour to make the right offers and discounts, so they can maximise revenue in a short period of time wh
5、ile managing the costs of returns. It is a delicate balancing act. Retailers can reduce abandonment rates with real-time offers based on current activity, while using previous history can also improve sales revenue. Equally, implementing the optimal shipping and surcharge cost strategies can drive a
6、 positive impact on profit margin. Advanced analytics can draw out insights to drive up sales and help predict demand in this new world by making sense of all the available (internal and external) information. 2 “The Christmas season can be a nerve-wracking time for retailers. With consumers spendin