5 Creative Holiday Promotion Ideas for Retailers

Written by Square, Inc. for Retail Minded.

By now, Black Friday has become a holiday of sorts (you know, the kind of holiday where people get up crazy-early and spend a lot of money), but your seasonal promotions shouldn’t begin and end with the day after Thanksgiving. (Besides, you should be focusing on eating leftovers that day.)

Get creative with your holiday sales! That doesn’t mean you should overthink it. After all, it’s just a fact that people are going to be shopping this time of year. But you should try to set yourself apart in a way that feels true to your business and your customers. Here are some ways to attract customers with sweet holiday deals.

1. Friendsgiving

Get a jump on the “official” holiday shopping season by hosting a promotion the weekend before Thanksgiving. Email your customers an invite (Square’s email marketing software has a template for events) to blow off some pre-Thanksgiving steam and avoid the Black Friday madness with cocktails and stellar deals to share with friends. For example, when a customer makes a purchase, she gets a card to share an additional discount with a friend. Make sure to offer discounts across the board (after all, you don’t want to alienate loyal, if solo, shoppers). Read more tips on how to market your event.

2. Ugly Sweater Day

Tacky holiday sweaters aren’t just for parties anymore: Bring a fun, festive element into what can be a stressful time by inviting customers to wear their loudest, trippiest, most sartorially unfortunate sweaters into your store. When they do, offer them a storewide discount. And, if you’re a clothing store, think about offering a special deal on sweaters that don’t look like costumes. You can also add a charitable element by asking customers to donate gently used (and not ugly) sweaters for a store discount.

3. Retail Therapy

The most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful, so invite customers to indulge in a little “me” time by offering mini spa treatments. Pick a weekend day in the thick of the shopping season for their choice of a chair massage, nail polish change, or makeup touch-up when they make a minimum purchase. Try to partner with a local salon and spa to set up a mutually beneficial relationship.

4. Procrastinators’ Party

Turn last-minute shopping into an event with saved-the-best-for-last deals and offers. Turn the last weekend before Christmas into a party with cookies, hot chocolate (or bubbly), and complimentary gift wrapping on items purchased in the store that day.

5. New Year’s Shopping

The boom of holiday shopping is always followed by the inevitable bust of a sales slump. To avoid a complete New Year’s sales meltdown, buy yourself an insurance policy in the form of store-issued gift cards that customers can’t use until January. When customers spend a certain amount through the end of December, thank them for their purchases and loyalty with a Square gift card in the amount of your choosing. Then, once January rolls around (and your new merchandise rolls in), customers can cash in their store credit — and then some.

To View Original Article: https://retailminded.com/5-creative-holiday-promotion-ideas-for-retailers/

The Thrill of the Old

By Jon Bird

Retail has rushed to embrace technology in recent years. Just as consumers have armed themselves with a dazzling array of devices (I sit now with a laptop perched on my knees, a smartphone in my pocket, and a tablet in my bag), merchants have kitted out their stores and staff with tech. Done right, that’s a good thing. Technology can augment and improve the shopping experience immeasurably.
But we should never forget the power of human connection in retail, the strength of a story well told, and the lasting impression of great visual merchandising brought to life in good old-fashioned three dimensions.

All of that hit home to me when walking through New York last night. What seemed most magnetic to the people in the streets and stores that I observed was not the touch-screen Amazon digital poster (“Tap Screen to Shop”), or the massive screens in H&M, but the physical magic of Rockefeller Center, and the traditional imagery and retail techniques employed in the surrounding stores.



 Standing majestically at the heart of Rockefeller Center is the Christmas tree. This year, it is an 85-foot (25 meter), 90 year-old spruce, harvested from the front yard of a century-old farmhouse three hours west of New York City (Great story).



 Below the tree, skaters glide around the iconic ice rink; bit players in their own private New York movie scene.



 Across the street is Saks Fifth Avenue, with its elegant holiday windows, and a storefront bedecked with 71,000 lights.



 Around the corner is lifestyle store Anthropologie, with some of the most beautiful, meticulously crafted displays you will see anywhere. This is retail art at its finest, with intricate scenes of birds perched on trees and New York buildings.

It’s not all technology-free. One of the highlights is Saks’ all-singing, all-dancing 3-D video projection show. But for the most part, the experience in and around Rockefeller Center is traditional and physical, not digital.



 Perhaps this is the time of year when the classic captivates consumers, and we all buy into a vision of times past. (Tiffany’s Christmas campaign this year is very nostalgic.) I do think though it’s also a reminder that the “thrill of the old” can match the pull of the new, and that a retail “experience” doesn’t have to be technology-driven.

Happy Christmas.

To View Original Article: http://www.newretailblog.com/the-thrill-of-the-old/

Father's Day Gift Guide 2015

With Father's Day happening this weekend, we're starting to think about what our Dad's might actually want and use this year. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

New York Golf Center has some of the best Daily and Weekly Deals!! This week check out their 30% off with the purchase of three regularly priced shirts. It ends on Father's Day so make sure to check out their website for more deals and gift ideas! Gift Cards available too!

 

 

 

This year go with a gift that you all can use together as a family- a day at the Santa Barbara Zoo! Between all the animals and different exhibits it’ll be a great day for everyone to celebrate together!

 

 

 

 

For the active Dad, grab him some clothes or sunglasses from Oakley! Whether he decides to go and workout or stay home and relax, he’ll be comfortable and stylish!

 

 

Huntington Surf and Sport has everything you can dream of for the Dad who loves to go to the beach! With free shipping over $49 and other great sales happening on their site make sure to stop by and check out what they have this Father's Day.

 

Just Sports has your sports fan Dad covered. Find him some gear for his favorite team in the NBA, NFL or MLB and get ready for the upcoming season here!
 

 

 

If your Dad is a musician and a fan of the drums then Memphis Drum Shop is where you should look! Choose from hundreds of products and find the perfect gift for your favorite musician here.

 

Memorial Day marketing tips for a successful start to summer

Posted by John Fetto

 

As part of our ongoing series which focuses on consumer and marketing trends around major holidays throughout the year, we’ve just released the Memorial Day Holiday Hot Sheet.

Memorial Day marketing emails are all about offers and sales

Experian Marketing Services looked at over 150 brands that sent Memorial Day emails in 2014 and mailings with offers or sales in their subject line made up over 80 percent of the Memorial Day mailings compared to 37 percent of promotional mailings sent by all brands in May of 2014.

The week leading up to Memorial Day has the lion’s share of email volume and generates 90 percent of Memorial Day revenue. While the holiday itself had the highest percentage of revenue, the Friday at the start of the Memorial Day weekend may be a good day to increase mailings, as it received 21.8 percent of Memorial Day revenue from just 18.3 percent of volume.



While most Memorial Day emails included offers in the subject line, free shipping and percent off subject lines yielded the greatest revenue per email. Subject lines with the key words of “sale” or “discount” also enjoyed high revenue per email.

 

The search is on

When searching for Memorial Day sales or deals online, many Americans are commonly seeking out sales at specific retailers with some of the top being Best Buy, Home Depot and Guitar Center. In fact, seven of the top 15 variations of searches for “Memorial Day sales” or “Memorial Day deals” in 2014 contained the name of a retailer. Several variations also included reference to a type of product without mentioning a specific brand. For instance, “Memorial Day mattress sale” was the fourth most common variation of searches for Memorial Day sales or deals during the week ending May 31, 2014 and the highest ranking product category-related search that week. Vehicle-related searches also occupy two spots in the top 15.



With many businesses closed or operating on a holiday schedule on Memorial Day, it’s no surprise that in the days leading up to the holiday and on Memorial Day itself, shoppers are trying to figure out where and when they can shop — regardless of whether there’s a sale going on. For instance, on Memorial Day last year, the fourth most commonly used keyword in Memorial Day-related searches was “open” and the 13th most common keyword was “hours.” In many instances, consumers are looking for information on a specific retailer, such as “is Office Depot open Memorial Day” or “Kohl’s Memorial Day hours.” Though some are seeking general information such as which business are open.

To view the original article please visit: http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2015/04/23/memorial-day-marketing-tips-successful-start-summer/

5 Content Marketing Ideas for April 2015

March 26, 2015 • Armando Roggio

 

April’s list of widely recognized holidays is a good source of content marketing. Add to this the power of publishing a lookbook, and you have five compelling ideas for ecommerce content marketing.

Content marketing is the art and science, if you will, of creating, publishing, and distributing content like blog posts, photographs, videos, or similar, with the aim of attracting, engaging, converting, and retaining customers.

What follows are five ideas for your ecommerce content marketing.

1. April Fool’s Day: April 1

In much of the Western world, the first day of April is set aside for practical jokes, pranks, and harmless hoaxes. It is a day when even the most conservative of brands can have some fun with marketing.

In fact, April Fool’s Day marketing can be some of the most inventive and creative content a company produces all year.

Thinkgeek releases several fake products each April Fool’s Day.

One of the best examples of ecommerce-related April Fool’s content marketing comes from specialty retailer Thinkgeek, which has published a list of “fake” products each April Fool’s day since 2001.

In 2014, Thinkgeek’s April specials include the following.

• Mr. Beard Beard Machine. Pick and “grow” your favorite facial hair.
• Rosetta Stone Learn to Speak Klingon. Learn to speak Klingon today; live conversation sessions with native speakers.
• NERF Nuke. The NERF weapon to end all NERF wars.

For April Fool’s Day 2015, try to come up with one product related to your industry that will leave folks laughing. Publish the product like any other on your site — although you may want to put it in a special category; Thinkgeek uses “looflirpa,” which is “april fool” backwards. Finally, feature that product on your home page, in an email campaign, and on social media.

2. Easter: April 5

In the United States and much of the Western world, Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, April 5, 2015. The holiday has something of a split personality.

On the one hand, it is a secular holiday featuring egg hunting, the Easter Bunny, and Easter parades intended to celebrate the changing seasons. While on the other hand, it is a high Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus.

From a content marketer’s perspective, the holiday merits attention in either situation. Here are some ideas for industry segments.

• Craft retailer. How-to articles for making anything from Easter baskets to plastic Easter egg bunnies — Michael’s did the latter.
• Kitchen supply retailers. Include recipes and articles demonstrating how to make your own Easter candy.
• Lawn and garden retailer. Publish an article like “10 Secrets for a Better Easter Egg Hunt” or “5 Steps to Prepare Your Yard for Easter.”
• Clothing retailer. What about a video that takes an historical look at Easter fashion for the last 100 years?
• Book retailer. An article reviewing the ten best Easter books for children.

Michael’s includes how-to projects for Easter on its site. Consumers can also shop the project.

 

3. U.S. Tax Day: April 15

For Americans, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 is this year’s deadline for filing tax returns. The day might seem like an odd topic for ecommerce content marketing, but, in fact, there may be an opportunity to be useful to some customers.

Perhaps the most direct approach is to produce articles, videos, or tools that help customers prepare for tax day this year or next.

Tax day is Wednesday, April 15, 2015 in the U.S.

For example, in December 2014 the U.S. Congress renewed the state sales tax deduction for 2014 returns. This means that folks itemizing their taxes may choose to deduct either the state income taxes or state sales taxes they paid, whichever amount is larger. This deduction could include online purchases, if the seller collected sales tax for the their customers’ home states.

Here are some tax-day-related article ideas.

• “How to Deduct Online Sales Tax from Your 2014 Return”
• “18 Resources for Tracking Out-of-pocket Charitable Donations”
• “The Philanthropist’s Guide to Online Shopping and Donations”
• “Your Business Casual Wardrobe Might be a Business Deduction”
• “8 Unexpected Uses for Your Tax Return”

Another idea would be to include a new tool on site that allowed shoppers to look at all of their orders for the year. The tool might allow business customers to select products they intend to deduct and print a receipt of sorts that only included those products.

4. Earth Day: April 22

First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is meant to demonstrate support for the environment and environmental protection. It is also a good opportunity for content marketing. For 2015, Earth Day occurs on Wednesday, April 22.

Even a coffee tumbler could be an important product to promote on Earth Day.

As an example, imagine a company that sells coffee tumblers online. The seller could create an article or video about how a reusable coffee tumbler saves paper cups and, thereby, benefits the environment.

Once the article or video is complete, promote it on social media using the hashtag #earthday. Be certain to mention facts and statistics from your content.

Creative agency David&Goliath did exactly this campaign with its Defiance Club Movement, telling folks on Twitter that 6.5 million trees could be saved annually if they would use a coffee mug instead of a paper cup.

 

The hypothetical coffee tumbler example is not really that hypothetical. In fact, creative agency David&Goliath actually did it with coffee mugs.

 

5. Publish a Lookbook

The only suggestion on this month’s list not tied to a specific date is to publish a lookbook for your ecommerce business.

In its 2015 Eshopper Index published March 18, 2015, iVentures Consulting reported that 65 percent of the 111 sites it had reviewed used photography, like lookbooks, to encourage sales. Lookbooks are essential mini-catalogs that use lifestyle or product in-action photography to get an emotional response from the shopper.

Lookbooks can be used to promote almost any product, but are probably the most common on sites selling apparel, cosmetic, and luxury products.

As an example, Suitsupply has a not-entirely-safe-for-work lookbook that features models wearing its spring line in a pool.

Suitsupply’s lookbook introduces shoppers to its spring line in an entertaining way.

 

 

To view the original article please visit: http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/84376-5-Content-Marketing-Ideas-for-April-2015

How to Boost Your Retail Sales Into the New Year

by Rieva Lesonsky In Retail Trends

If you’re putting all your focus on the holiday sales season, you’re neglecting a huge opportunity — the chance to boost your retail sales after the new year, which is typically a slower time of the year for many.

Plenty of people will be heading into stores in January to exchange unwanted items, cash in gift cards or spend gifted money. With the right approach and some advance planning, you can continue to capture their attention, and their dollars, well into the new year.

6 Ways to Boost Your Retail Sales Into the New Year

Lure Them Back With Limited-Time Offers Good Only in January

Personally, I’m a sucker for “Kohl’s cash.” The national chain periodically rewards shoppers with $10 to spend for every $50 in purchases. The catch: Kohl’s cash can only be spent during a certain window of time.

Since it feels like free money, I almost always end up checking out the store before my Kohl’s cash expires and spending a lot more than I received in “free money.” You can reward customers with store “cash,” gift cards or percentage/dollar-off deals. Whatever you choose, the key is to focus on getting your customers back into your store in January, a frequently slow sales month.

Sell Gift Cards

Gift cards were the number one most popular gift last year. So if your store sells them, you have built-in sales in January (and even later). Even if customers never redeem their cards, you’ve gotten paid for the face value. But if you can get them to come into your store in January, all the better, since they’ll usually spend more than the amount of the card.

Follow Up With Holiday Shoppers

Make sure you capture email addresses from people who shop at your store over the next four weeks. If you do that, you can then reach out again in January with an email marketing message. You can do a soft sell with a digital “Happy New Year” eCard and a gentle reminder to come in and take advantage of year-end clearance items, or sweeten the pot with a discount offer.

Use Loss Leaders

January is the perfect time to get rid of slow-moving items that didn’t sell well. Discount them to rock-bottom prices to get people into your store. And then entice those customers with well-merchandised displays for full-priced items.

Try a Fun Promo

Consumers are likely to feel a letdown as they head back to work and open their credit card statements that reflect high balances from all of their recent spending.

Put them back in a good mood with fun contests, giveaways or challenges. Give away a free gift with purchases. Hold a drawing in the store for a prize such as a $100 gift card or a desirable product. Or have customers bring in the biggest “white elephant” gift they got this year to receive a $10 gift card in exchange.

Look to the Future

The new year is a time when people are ready for change. Try marketing that emphasizes how your business can help them usher in “the new.” Whether it’s by purchasing snazzy new workout wear from your boutique to motivate a fitness regimen, overhauling the home entertainment center with surround sound speakers from your electronics store, or redecorating the living room for spring, there are plenty of ways to get customers energized about new projects — and into your store to get those projects going.

What ideas will you use to boost your retail sales in January?
Retail Sale Photo via Shutterstock

View the original article here: http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/11/boost-your-retail-sales-after-new-year.html?tr=sm

The Most Wanted Holiday Gifts According to Social Media

           

by Ayaz Nanji  |  

December 5, 2014

                    

inShare

            

    

    

What do people want most for the holidays this year? Good ol' cash, according to a recent report from Prime Visibility.
The report was based on data from millions of conversations about holiday gifts occurring on Facebook, Twitter, and forum communities.
The top three most wanted gifts of 2014—cash, gift cards, and iPhones—are the exact same as those of 2013, the analysis found.
However, the number four spot is significantly different, changing from Justin Bieber tickets last year to drones this year.
Rounding out the list of the top 10 most wanted gifts are shoes, clothing, nothing, the Xbox 360, puppies, and wine.

Guardians of the Galaxy is the most wanted movie this holiday season, followed by Frozen and The Fault in Our Stars.
American Horror Story is the most desired TV show, followed by The Big Bang Theory and The Walking Dead.
In electronics, iPhones rule—taking both the first and second spots—followed by drones and laptops.

About the research: The report was based on data from millions of conversations about holiday gifts that occured on Facebook, Twitter, and forum communities.

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26612/the-most-wanted-holiday-gifts-according-to-social-media#ixzz3LXAa89jE

View the original article here: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26612/the-most-wanted-holiday-gifts-according-to-social-media 

Holiday Results To-Date Strengthen The Omnichannel Message

 

               

Sales results from the 2014 Thanksgiving weekend further support retailers’ need to focus on a consistent brand message across all channels year-round, rather than comparing in-store sales on Black Friday to online sales on Cyber Monday.

 

“This year is likely to be the first time in nearly a decade that Black Friday won't be the biggest shopping day of the holiday season in terms of traffic and sales,” reported Robert Passikoff, Founder and President of Brand Keys, Inc., in the firm’s 20th Annual National Holiday Shopping Survey.

 

“This is due in part to the fact that retailers offer deals year-round and consumers have taken that to heart, and more stores are open on Thanksgiving Day,” Passikoff explained. “With the expansion of Black Friday into an entire season (aka November) more people are shopping on — or prior to — Thanksgiving.”

Looking at results from Thanksgiving weekend, many retailers may be discouraged. Total spending fell approximately 11% year-over-year to $50.9 billion, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

 

But e-Commerce sales increased 32% to $766 million on Thanksgiving Day and 26% to $1.2 billion on Black Friday, comScore reported. 

 

While online purchases are increasing more rapidly than brick-and-mortar sales, the store continues to be a vital component of the overall brand experience for shoppers. In fact, there were 233.3 total shopping trips over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to the NRF.

 

One trend that crosses both online and in-store is gift card purchases. Gift card sales — both plastic and digital — are expected to top all previous records during the 2014 holiday season. According to NRF’s Gift Card Spending Survey, the average person buying gift cards will spend $173, up from $163 in 2013. Total spending is expected to reach close to $32 billion, which is an 83% increase since NRF began tracking consumers’ intentions to buy gift cards as holiday gifts in 2003.

 

Gift recipients are on board with the trend. In an October NRF survey, 62% of consumers said they would like to receive a gift card, making gift cards the most requested gift item for the past eight years.

Holiday Results Q&A With Scot Wingo, CEO, ChannelAdvisor

Amazon, Large Format Retailers Win Out In Holiday Predictions

If you’re placing bets on which retailers will rack up the most sales during the 2014 holiday season, bet on the obvious. Amazon shoppers are planning to spend 9.9% more this year compared to last year, according to Prosper Insights & Analytics, in its report, titled: Holiday 2014: Retailers To Watch.

 

Other retailers expected to fare well this year include:

• Nordstrom, up 7.5%;
• Walmart, up 5.3%;
• Costco, up 5.2%;
• Kohl’s, up 3.0%;
• Best Buy, up 1.3%.

Pricing And Promotions Heat Up Competition As The Thermometer Drops

To remain competitive in the current, consumer-driven marketplace, retailers can’t wait around to launch their best prices and deals during the holidays.

 

As explained by Passikoff of Brand Keys: “As we predicted, with the intense competition for consumer dollars, department stores and specialty shops had to become more aggressive on deals, promotions, and operating hours this holiday season, and those realities are showing up in the real marketplace and on retailers’ bottom lines.”

 

Hopefully retailers will learn from their price and promotion inconsistencies last year, industry experts noted. “There was no consistent strategy or head-on competition among the retailers,” reported Amos Peleg Co-Founder and CEO of Upstream Commerce. “The average discount rate attained at both Amazon and Zappos (at different times in the scale), was 2.8%, but was only 0.5% for Macy's.”

 

Also during the 2013 season, Upstream Commerce examined pricing of the 20 largest athletic shoe brands at Amazon, Zappos and Macy's, finding that “each lowered its prices to start the holiday shopping season; and while Amazon discounted the most on Black Friday, it then raised prices the most for Cyber Monday.”

 

Peleg offered three key takeaways when it comes to holiday pricing strategies:

1. “Each retailer appears to dance to its own drummer with no consistently obvious strategy in relation to each other.”
2. “Although different products are considered, Amazon exhibits the same type of behavior each year, where it raises prices on Cyber Monday.”
3. “While there may be a smaller set of ‘show’ products that are actually being discounted, it's probably a myth that retailers provide huge discounts across the board during the holiday season.”

To help retailers determine where they stand in an endless sea of discounts and promotions, they can look to a WalletHub survey of 5,525 deals from the 2014 Black Friday ad scans of 21 of the largest U.S. retailers:

• JCPenney has the highest overall discount rate at 65%. Costco has the lowest at 21%.
• Jewelry is the most discounted category at 58%. Electronics & Computers are the least discounted at 30%.
• The average discount for Black Friday is 39%. 
• The Toys category has the most discounted items, representing 26% of all offers. The Consumer Packaged Goods category has the smallest, with only 1.3% of all offers.

Following is a breakdown of additional spending trends and takeaways from Thanksgiving — also called Gray Thursday — to Cyber Monday.

Thanksgiving Day Shopping Becomes A Holiday Hit, Boosts Store Sales 24%

Thanksgiving Day has evolved into a shopping holiday over the past three years. Not only did top retailers such as Walmart and Target open their doors earlier on Thanksgiving Day, but they also started their holiday doorbusters earlier than ever.

Although industry experts argued whether opening on Thanksgiving would help or hurt retailers, results are pointing to the former. Total in-store sales for the day were up 23.7%, with holiday shoppers spending a total of $3.19 billion, according to ShopperTrak.

The early openings were a success, bringing in12% more store traffic on Thanksgiving than 2013, according to data from Shopkick. In fact, 30% of all Black Friday store visits happened before midnight Pacific Time on Thanksgiving Day, representing an increase above 18% in 2013, 16% in 2012 and 13% in 2011. The data illustrated that in-store shopper traffic peaked on Thanksgiving Day at 6 p.m. PT, which is two hours earlier than the 8 p.m. peak time in 2013.

Despite the boost in store traffic and sales, e-Commerce and mobile shopping dominated Thanksgiving Day, with the IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark reporting that combined online sales increased 14.3% over 2013.

Online sales from desktop and laptop computers increased 32%, reaching $1.01 billion throughout the day, according to data from comScore. Online average order values (AOVs) on Thanksgiving Day were $179.59 per order, which was the highest total over the entire holiday weekend, according to Monetate.

Mobile traffic and sales experienced the highest year-over-year increase, according to the IBM Digital Analytics Bench report. Mobile traffic outpaced traffic from computer devices for the first time in 2014, with smartphones and tablets accounting for 52.1% of all online traffic. Mobile sales, on the other hand, accounted for almost one third (32.3%)of all online sales, representing a 25.4% year-over-year increase.

Mobile web sites accounted for 93% of retail revenue throughout the day, with only 7% coming from retailers’ apps, according to data from Skava.

After consumers finished their turkey dinners, they also turned to social networks to search for their favorite brands and keep track of discounts and offers. The IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark concluded that Facebook referrals drove an average of $107.73 per order, while Pinterest referrals averaged $95.24 per order.

Black Friday Underperforms Due To Thanksgiving Openings

While Black Friday has evolved to become a flagship spending day, Thanksgiving Day appeared to shake up spending patterns and consumers’ overall enthusiasm for the shopping holiday. Overall, 86.9 million shoppers either shopped in-store or online on Black Friday, a 5.5% decrease from 2013, according to data from NRF.

Total Black Friday spending in physical stores dropped 6.8% year over year to $9.10 billion, ShopperTrak data noted, while in-store traffic fell 6.6%, according to the U.S. Retail Benchmarks Report from Euclid Analytics.

E-Commerce fared more positive for retailers, with Black Friday online sales increasing 20.6% from 2013, according to a blog from Custora. Research from comScore indicated online sales from desktop and laptop computers alone jumped to $1.5 billion.

Online retailers in the Health & Beauty and Home Goods categories experienced the highest sales growth during Black Friday. Sales for Health & Beauty merchants increased 56.9% over 2013, while Home Goods stores experienced a boost of 43.2%.

Similar to Thanksgiving Day, more consumers were browsing and buying on their mobile devices on Black Friday. Approximately half (49.6%) of all online traffic on Black Friday came from mobile devices, a 25% year-over-year increase from 2013. Mobile also accounted for 27.9% of total online sales, up 28.2% from the 2013 results, according to the IBM Benchmark.

While social media as a whole drove only 1.7% of sales, email marketing had a major impact in driving online sales on Black Friday.More than one quarter (27.3%) of sales were attributed to retail emails, according to IBM. These email messages helped target customers and were sent less frequently than in the past. Retailers sent an average of 5.3 emails to shoppers this year, 11% less than Black Friday 2013.

Cyber Saturday Picks Up Steam

Although many retailers choose to take their time to reload in the days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in 2014 some decided to jump in to a cyber-themed weeks on Nov. 29 — leading to numbers well over last year's for Cyber Saturday. Amazon, for example, rolled out is Cyber Monday deals early.

This proved to be a hit with customers, and sales were up 45.9% over 2013, according to ChannelAdvisor. eBay, meanwhile, was up 14.9% over last year, and Google shopping jumped 19.7%. ChannelAdvisor reports that total e-Commerce growth year over year was 27%.

Data released by Monetate, a retail personalization technology provider, paints a similar picture. According to the company, shoppers initiated 30,518,366 sessions on e-Commerce sites on Nov. 29, which represents a 10.33% spike over Cyber Saturday 2013.

Mobile played a key role in the traffic increase, with both smartphone traffic — up 51.9% — and revenue — up 49.1% — well over last year's numbers. In total, tablets and smartphones accounted for 43.98% of all online traffic and 28.6% of sales. Other findings released by Monetate include:

• The average order value of all purchases was $150.77;
• Revenue per e-commerce session increased 14.8% year over year; and
• Conversion rates increased 10.3% year over year.

"The Black Friday hangover impacted retailers in a very positive way as there were significant spikes in traffic, revenue and conversions on the Saturday after Thanksgiving," said Lucinda Duncalfe, CEO, Monetate. "Mobile continues to drive this trend, as it appears that shoppers browsing on Black Friday decided to make purchases via smartphones and tablets on Saturday as many deals and specials continued online."

Despite the gains, data analyzed by the Salesforce Marketing Cloud indicated that shoppers might have been ready to take a break. Social media conversations concerning holiday shopping dipped to 606,325 on Cyber Saturday. Apple led the way in social chatter on Cyber Saturday with 10,000 posts, representing a 456% year-over-year increase. Walmart while still coming in second with 8,700 post, was 21% down over last year’s social conversations. The number one topic of those discussions was Cyber Monday, which suggested positive trends for e-Commerce sites leading into Dec. 1.

Has Cyber Monday Lost Its Luster?

Cyber Monday has acquired a history of having the best online sales and deals. But this year, as retailers started their discounting tactics earlier and earlier, was that still the case? Moreover, were consumers just as eager to shop on Cyber Monday, or was their time and attention elsewhere?

Based on the projected individual holiday spend of $855, Brand Keys estimated that Cyber Monday would only account for 35% of total spending. The Cyber Monday Expectations Survey from

Prosper Insights & Analytics, also indicated that 126.9 million consumers planned to shop on Cyber Monday, a slight decrease from 131.6 million in 2013.

“For today’s shopper, every day is ‘Cyber Monday,’ and consumers want and expect great deals, especially online, throughout the entire holiday season – and they know retailers will deliver,” said Matthew Shay, President and CEO of NRF. “Retailers will still offer unique deals exclusive to Cyber Monday, but consumers also know shopping on Cyber Monday won’t be their last chance to find low prices and exclusive promotions.”

Supporting Shay’s point, research from ShopSavvy indicated that some of the deals released on Cyber Monday are just hype, and truly are not as substantial as they suggest. Data from the top 100 retailers concluded that the Electronics category had the steepest discounts, with NewEgg offering 71% off on Cyber Monday. Men’s Warehouse came in second, offering a 58% discount on Cyber Monday. Across all retailers across categories, Nordstrom offered the most discounts, slashing prices on 20,057 products.

However, results have shown something different entirely. Desktop online spending on Cyber Monday reached $2.04 billion, representing the heaviest online spending day in history, according to comScore. This is the first time in e-Commerce history that online sales surpassed $2 billion in a single day.

“With more than $2 billion in online buying on Cyber Monday to cap an exceptionally strong five-day period since Thanksgiving, the online holiday shopping season is clearly going very well at the moment and is currently running ahead of forecast,” said Gian Fulgoni, Chairman Emeritus at comScore. “Any notion that Cyber Monday is declining in importance is really unfounded, as it continues to post new historical highs and reflects the ongoing strength of online this holiday season.

Varying reports have also indicated weakness in the consumer economy due to flagging brick-and-mortar sales over the holiday weekend, but what we may really be seeing is an accelerating shift to online buying as mobile phones spur increased showrooming activity. The data we’re seeing suggest it may be more a change in shopping behavior than a lack of consumer demand.”

Results from the IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark also pointed to Cyber Monday as the most popular day for consumers to shop, with online sales growing by 8.5% year over year. Mobile traffic also grew, accounting for 41.2% of online traffic, up 30.1% over 2013. Mobile sales also surged, reaching 22% of total Cyber Monday online sales. Although online traffic and sales surged on Cyber Monday, average order value experienced a slight downturn, falling 3.5% year over year to $124.21.

Retailers Get On Consumers’ “Nice Lists” Across All Channels

Sales trends and results confirm that consumers are leveraging a variety of channels to browse and buy. As a result, a multitude of retailers ramped up their omnichannel marketing and engagement tactics to make holiday shopping more seamless and enjoyable. Here are a few standout examples:

• Target is partnered with Google on the Art, Copy & Code project, which is designed to surprise and delight customers during the holiday season. Bullseye’s Playground is a mobile game experience that features the Target bull terrier mascot and other characters. In Target stores, guests can use Google’s Project Tango Development Tablet to interact with the Playground, which is presented as a 3D winter playground. The game also is available on personal mobile devices through Target.com/play. For every game played with Bullseye’s Playground, Target will donate $1 to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
• Rue La La saw a surge in mobile sales and traffic through Thanksgiving weekend. With more than 13 million members, mobile accounts for 50% of total sales. The retailer saw mobile traffic peak at 8 p.m. ET. To celebrate the start of the holiday, Rue La La implemented a variety of campaigns, including the 12 Gift Steals program, which was a five-day series highlighting must-have gifts at exclusive pricing.
• Macy’s held a variety of doorbusters and contests to pique consumer interest and drive conversions. Black Friday deals started at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and consumers had the chance to win digital gift codes to be used for Black Friday purchases. Using the Macy’s mobile app, shoppers scanned in-store QR codes to instantly win gift codes worth $10, $20, $50 or $250. Sharing details on overall performance for the weekend, CEO Terry Lundgren said in a Fortune article: “So far, people are gravitating to doorbusters — that has got their attention. There’s so much information online, so they’re doing that research and going right for those doorbusters.” 

The retailers that landed on consumers’ “naughty lists” were the once who didn’t ensure quality e-Commerce performance during one of the busiest weeks of the year. Best Buy, BaubleBar and HP all experienced site outages, while Cabela’s and Foot Locker experienced some instability throughout the weekend.

What's In Store For The Rest Of December?

The five day crunch between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday has now passed, but with a recent Credit Karma survey stating that three out of four shoppers avoid Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there’s still a long way to go before consumers wrap up 2014’s holiday shopping season.

The burning question now is how will the rest of the holiday season measure up? Cyber Monday got December up to a rousing start, and early projections for the rest of the month should encourage retailers.

In total, analysts at Mintel predict a 3% increase in spending throughout December. While this number does not beat last year’s 4% year-over-year increase, it represents a total spend worldwide of more than $57 billion, with nearly 13% coming from e-Commerce. 

Heavy shopping days remain in December, according to ShopperTrak – including the Super Saturday (Dec. 20), which the location-based analytics vendor predicts to be the heaviest in-store shopping day of the holiday season. Other dates to watch include Free Shipping Day 2014 (Dec. 18) and the second Saturday before Christmas (Dec. 13). In fact, ShopperTrak predict six of the top ten shopping days of the 2014 holiday season are still to come.

“While the holiday season is underway, it’s not too late for savvy retailers to still capture their piece of the holiday pie,” said Jeff Rohrs, Vice President, Marketing Insights, Salesforce Marketing Cloud. “Each moment in the customer journey matters just as much as the one that precedes or follows it. By focusing on the present moment at hand and making it unmistakably memorable, retailers can stand out amongst the holiday noise and take the customer one step closer to the next major milestone.”

To view the original article visit: http://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/financial-news/holiday-results-to-date-strengthen-the-omnichannel-message?utm_source=retailtouchpoints

Best White Elephant Gifts of 2014

$0-$10 Ideas

Any of these winter soaps from Soaptopia would be perfect a holiday party, especially if you want someone smelling especially delicious! You can choose from a lump of coal, candy cane, or Ginger soap man for the lucky winner of this gift! http://soaptopia.com/winter_soaps

Price: $6.95

 

Hot Cocoa Doco

 

 The Rubber Band Shooter Blaster Supreme from Kitson, will bring out the ten year old in any coworker. It comes fully prepared with the shooter, rubber bands, AND a keychain. So, no matter where you go, it can travel with you!  http://www.shopkitson.com/index.php?page=product&id=11557

Price: $7.95

Rubber Band Shooter Blaster Supreme

I like Mixed Greens lets you create a mini spa experience for whatever lucky winner selects your gift! Combine 2 of the 3 options below and remain within the price rules of $10 for a white elephant gift.

Price: $9- $10 (in total)

Luscious Lip Butter Tin

Luscious Lip Butter Tube

Luxury Body Cream

 

http://ilikemixedgreens.com/?product=luxury-body-cream-2 Price: $5 (for the 1oz)

http://ilikemixedgreens.com/?product=luscious-lip-butter-tin Price: $5

http://ilikemixedgreens.com/?product=luscious-lip-butter Price: $4

 

$10- $15 Ideas

 

We are going to let Mimi and Hy describe this gift: “Voluspa Champagne Rose Travel Tin Candle is the scent of Brut Rose Champagne chilled and poured over cassis berries and edible white rose petals.” Just AMAZING.  Can we say Namaste times 100? Who wouldn’t want this candle that sounds like the ultimate description of utter relaxation and peace!

 

http://www.mimiandhy.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_65&product_id=205#.VGPaFv5ASUk

 

 

Price: $11

Voluspa Champagne Rose Travel Tin Candle

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is a holiday classic and City Lights Collectibles is selling this ornament of Bumble and Rudolph that will make any fan of the Christmas season smile.

Price: $12.99

Bumble holding Rudolph Ornament

http://www.citylightscollectibles.com/department-56-4037434-bumble-holding-rudolph-hanging-ornament.html

This piece of jewelry from Erica Wilson in New York is great if you work in a female or male heavy office. These Mala Tibetan Prayer Beads come in beautifully neutral colors and will definitely be a hit!

Price: $15

Mala Tibetan Prayer Beads

$15- $20 Ideas

The great thing about the holiday season is easily the food. Hickory Farms had created this large box of delicious Snowflake Pretzels that anyone will love to devour the minute they get it.

Hickory Farms Snowflake Pretzel

This cheeky notebook from *share with… is a great find for everyone in the digital age. Everyone in the office will get this joke!

http://share-with-montauk.myshopify.com/products/nsfi-journal

Price: $18

NSFI Notebook

  

One of the first things everyone does in the morning is make a pot of their favorite coffee or tea. The person who gets this gift will have an even better day when they get to drink it from a Ninja Mug from Kitson!

http://www.shopkitson.com/index.php?page=product&id=28932

Price: $19.95

Ninja Mug