Avoid Mass Chaos: Shop Online Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Each year, Black Friday is taken to new extremes and 2013 will be no exception. This season, many retailers plan to open their doors Thursday evening and continue sales through Friday. Some advertisers are even referring to the shopping event as “Black Thursday.” So now, what was once a day reserved for a sit-down dinner with loved ones has turned in to an opportunity for retailers to turn a profit. This has caused a great deal of controversy, however, since consumers are always looking for a deal, 2013 is sure to be another record breaking year for total Black Friday sales, especially since the time frame is longer.

For consumers who disagree with 2013’s lengthened Black Friday extravaganza, there is one clear option, and that is Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday falls on the Monday after Black Friday. For 2013, that Monday is December 2. This shopping event is the online version of Black Friday. Businesses that sell online offer great deals at varying times throughout the day, just like their brick and mortar locations do on Black Thursday. This means consumers can spend Thanksgiving with their families, enjoy a long holiday weekend and still get a head start on Christmas shopping with great deals on Cyber Monday.

There are many benefits to Cyber Monday. Those who opt to shop online can avoid large crowds, long lines and the extremists who will do anything to get the products they want that are on sale. Further, those who shop on Cyber Monday receive similar deals to those who go out and face the crowds on Black Friday and they get to do so from the convenience of their own home. That means pajamas are acceptable attire. Free shipping is almost a given on Cyber Monday and this year, mobile commerce will have a big impact.

We heard it last year and the year before that, but it is still true this year; the holiday shopping season in 2013 will be another record breaking year. That is due in part to Cyber Monday. What started as marketing hype to boost online sales in 2005 has grown in to a huge success. For 2013, according to Nielsen, 85 percent of consumers will skip Black Friday and instead, 46 percent said they will shop online Cyber Monday. Also according to Nielsen, online shopping will increase on Black Friday; 51 percent of consumers who will shop on Black Friday intend to do so online.

When it comes to what mobile device consumers will use to shop online, Nielsen found that 37 percent will use tablets and 27 percent will use their smartphones.

Black Friday is the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Moving forward, businesses will need to consider strategies for brick and mortar locations as well as for their online stores. Need an eCommerce store to grow your business online? Or perhaps just a mobile-optimized website? Contact Azox today!

In the meantime, look for more detailed statistics from us next week. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Mobile Commerce Continues to Grow and Will Impact Holiday Spending in 2013

It is no news that mobile commerce, now often referred to as m-commerce, is on the rise. Consumers have proven to enjoy the convenience and the ability to accomplish tasks while on the go. From paying bills to shopping, mobile commerce is simple and easy to use.

The latest data from Marketing Charts, which can be viewed here, shows that mobile commerce spending is continuing to rise. During the first half of 2013, mobile spending accounted for almost 10 percent, or $10.6 billion, of total online spending. This amount is a 28 percent increase from 2012. When broken up by device, 6 percent of total ecommerce spending was done using a smartphone and 3.5 percent using a tablet.

There are several types of purchases made on mobile devices that have captured a significant percentage of total ecommerce sales, according to the report.

For starters, during the first half of the year, digital ticket sales were made using a smartphone 10.9 percent of the time and 4.5 percent from a tablet.

When it came to apparel and accessory purchases, 6.2 percent were made from a smartphone and 4.5 percent from a tablet.

Other notable product categories include computer hardware, where 5.5 percent of purchases were made from a smartphone or tablet; consumer electronics, where 5.5 percent of total sales were made using a smartphone or tablet; and consumer package goods, where 4.4 percent of total sales were made using a smartphone or tablet.

Given this data, it is clear that the use of smartphones and tablets to make purchases online is on the rise. With that said, eMarketer is already predicting mobile commerce to positively impact holiday sales this season. Last year, during the holiday season, $53.7 billion was spent. Of that number, 15.2 percent, or roughly $8.16 billion, was done using a smartphone or tablet. In 2013, holiday spending is projected to reach $61.8 billion of which 15.1 percent, or about $9.33 billion, of sales will be done using a smartphone or tablet. The full report from eMarketer can be viewed here.

There is still time before the holiday season. Be sure your ecommerce website has a mobile version in order to make shopping your product catalog user friendly. Contact Azox today for more information about mobile ecommerce websites.

Capture a Piece of Ecommerce Sales this Valentine’s Day

Online retailers haven’t made it past the holiday craze just yet. Christmas may be behind us, but Valentine’s Day, the second largest gift giving holiday of the year, will be here in no time. National Retail Federation has predicted that consumers will each spend $130.97 on gifts, up from $126.03 last year, with an estimated total of $18.6 billion. Consumers purchases will include candy, flowers, jewelry, greeting cards, gift cards and other goods for their significant others as well as for family members, friends, co-workers and even their pets. Given the current economic conditions, it will be more common for consumers to buy conventional items, like candy or greeting cards this Valentine’s Day.

Not only is spending predicted to increase, but so will the amount of consumers planning to shop online. Based on a survey of 5,815 consumers, 26.3 percent of them will choose to do their Valentine’s Day shopping online, an increase of 7 percent from 2012. Additionally, 40.7 percent of those who own a smartphone will choose to shop online using their device. Likewise, 46.9 perfect of those who own a tablet will not only make Valentine’s Day purchases from their device, but will also use it for researching gift ideas.

There are a few ways you can capitalize on a portion of sales this Valentine’s Day. For starters, you must have established a store online. To get started with the foundation, contact the Azox team to learn more about our integrated ecommerce solution for Microsoft Dynamics GP. If you’re already online, try one of these ideas:

•  Run a Valentine’s Day promotion, such as special pricing, a BOGO offer or a coupon.
• Create a custom catalog that includes items relevant to the holiday, such as flowers, candy or jewelry.
• Setup related products with a Valentine’s Day theme by assign parent/child relationships to different items in stock.
• Offer a quick, one-page guest checkout screen for new customers that may be shopping last minute.

Don’t miss out on this and other busy online shopping days because you lack an online store or need to improve your current site. Having an integrated ecommerce storefront will increase consumer awareness of your brand and will also improve your sales. Azox offers ecommerce solutions for B2B, B2C and customer service sales portal environments. These web stores are easy to build and include modules that make all of the above mentioned tips possible and more. Contact us today to learn more.

Connecting Mobile E-Commerce and ERP Systems

In our latest post on ERP Software Blog we discuss how mobile commerce has changed the way many of us now shop online. With mobile sales expected to reach $31 billion in 2016, more and more people will be looking online to make purchases. If a company is taking orders online from their e-commerce site and placing them directly into their ERP system, having an e-commerce store that is branded for mobile compatibility can provide another sales channel for a company selling online. Read our full blog post on ERP Software Blog and find out how connecting mobile commerce and ERP systems can help grow business.

Azox Launches New Mobile Store for PRO Sports Club

With mobile sales increasing, and expected to reach $119 billion in 2015, more companies are looking toward mobile as the next big sales channel. Azox is pleased to have launched a new mobile optimized e-commerce site for PRO Sports Club’s 20/20 LifeStyles weight management program. PRO Sports Clubs 20/20 BeWell mobile store allows registered users to purchase health oriented products that help them live healthier lives in accordance with their weight loss programs. The branding of the site is completely revamped and browsing is made simpler, with easier navigation that is more intuitive for mobile users. The mobile site offers the same integrated functionality to Microsoft Dynamics GP as a standard website, even allowing coupon codes to be applied at checkout. Whether someone is browsing on an iPhone, iPad, Android device, Blackberry or a Windows Phone, the mobile site will display in a way that makes shopping more friendly for mobile users.