In recent years, the Christmas campaign has started earlier and earlier. Consumption patterns have established getting gifts and seasonal products – or starting pre-purchase research – at earlier and earlier dates.
The context of the last two years has accelerated this trend. Last year, Christmas consumers wanted to make their purchases earlier to avoid going to stores at times of peak influx, something not recommended in the middle of a health emergency. This year, it has been the fear of running out of the desired products that have advanced their purchases. The logistics crisis and the brands and retail chains’ recommendations – which have been warning of the risk of running out of the star toys or the fashion video game console – have penetrated buyers.
If to that are added the latest news about the coronavirus crisis and the effects that the new variant of covid-19, omicron, can have on consumption flows and access to points of sale, the complications of the Christmas campaign this year may even increase. Technology is presented, once again, as the answer to problems.
More Need For IT Than Ever
All this makes the digitization of retail and the digital transformation of companies even more important for this Christmas campaign than for the previous ones.
Companies must continue to respond to the needs of their consumers and their consumption demands, but they do so at a particularly difficult time. The Christmas season is typically a brutally demanding shopping period because sales soar, and consumers are less forgiving of company mistakes. In this edition, companies must add up all the problems generated by the context and understand that they will have to pass an even tougher stress test.
Implementing IT tools in companies helps improve inventory management, anticipate supply disruptions, or prepare for peaks in demand. It also allows you to create a solid omnichannel infrastructure, which makes it possible to reach consumers where they are at all times. This year’s Christmas campaign will have a high weight of e-commerce, a weight that could arise if the situation generated by the covid worsens.
The digital transformation is a strategic step to respond to changes and challenges of the market, but the needs of the Christmas season show that it is elemental to survive.
Companies cannot afford to miss out on Christmas campaign opportunities. For many companies, the sales of this period represent a very important percentage of all those that close in a year. For others, it is a crucial point in strengthening their relationships with consumers. The shopping experience must be the best as if all that complicated context did not exist. Only a good IT strategy will help to achieve this.
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