Christmas Day is less than a month away. As well as being a special time for families and friends to get together after not seeing each other for a long time, the volume of sales increases considerably for retailers.
With the arrival of Christmas, consumers begin to decorate their homes, to think about and prepare meals and dinners and to buy gifts to enjoy these dates with their loved ones. The starting signal for Christmas shopping was given on the 26th of November with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when many Spaniards took the opportunity to buy Christmas gifts, getting ahead of the key dates and avoiding, as far as possible, being affected by possible last-minute shortages.
Although there are people who have taken advantage of the discounts these days, according to the latest Christmas Consumer Study carried out by Deloitte, December will be the preferred month for shopping. It is estimated that the average expenditure will reach 631 euros, 14% more than in 2019, increasing the expenditure of these dates in relation to the pre-pandemic years. Although shopping in a physical shop is still the favourite option for 64% of Spaniards, the truth is that consumption through the online channel has grown by 36% compared to 2020.
It is estimated that Spaniards will spend an average of 204 euros on gifts, followed by the purchase of food products (160 euros). These expenses are followed by the purchase of travel, being the sector that has grown the most compared to last year thanks to the reduction of restrictions (91.1%).
As for the way in which all these purchases are paid for, it is worth noting that credit cards are still the preferred method of payment for Spaniards. Since we were forced to stay at home, cash transactions have been declining and after the de-escalation, the upward trend in the use of cards and alternative payment methods has continued, which means that Spanish society is on the road to digitalisation and retailers are a key part of this transformation.
Omni-channel experience
In a constantly evolving world, retailers have had to adapt to new shopping trends, giving their customers the freedom to choose how and when to complete each step of the shopping process.
For this reason, despite the growth that online shopping has been experiencing in recent times, and that the physical channel continues to remain the preferred channel for consumers to shop, the combination of both will be key to guarantee success in sales this Christmas.
Offering a good omni-channel experience, combining the advantages of both worlds, and letting consumers choose which shopping experience to choose at any given moment, will translate into greater customer satisfaction and, therefore, a higher number of sales.
Strategies such as Click&Collect, which allows you to buy online and pick up in shop without waiting or queuing, are a good example of how to merge both channels for the benefit of our customers.
Sustainability
Another trend on the rise this Christmas is the purchase of sustainable products. Consumers are increasingly looking to reduce the impact their actions have on the planet, and this is also reflected in their shopping habits. They prefer environmentally friendly products and shop locally, even if this means a small price increase. For this reason, it is a good idea to offer sustainable and ecological products in your catalogue that differentiate you from your competition.
From Sipay, a payment platform with more than 25 years of experience in the sector, we want to help you sell more this Christmas, offering you the best omnichannel experience for your business, so that you can make the most of the new shopping trends that are currently in demand.
