Webinar preview: Maximizing holiday sales success

The National Retail Federation’s Shop.org has released its holiday forecast, predicting that online sales will grow 12.6% year over year. That estimate is lower than the earlier forecast from eMarketer, which predicted growth of nearly 17%, and also lower than last year’s sales growth of 15%, as measured by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

While it’s impossible to know whose crystal-ball prognostications will be more accurate, the lower figure squares with the new data collected for the 2012 MarketLive Consumer Shopping Survey, which polled more than 1,000 U.S. shoppers about their plans for holiday spending. The majority of participants, 54%, said they plan to spend about the same amount as last year — down from 56% last year; the percentage of respondents who said they plan to spend more more than doubled, but remains small at 16%, while fewer than 1 in 3 participants said they planned to spend less.

The data confirms that while the prospects are good for holiday success, merchants will have to work harder than ever to convince shoppers to spend more. The proposition is even more difficult for small-to-medium-sized merchants, who may not be able to compete on price alone with mega-players such as Amazon and Wal-Mart.

But there are plenty of ways merchants can thrive this holiday season despite the challenges. As we’ll reveal in a comprehensive review of survey results tomorrow, October 10, the key to success is to provide value — which doesn’t always equate to bargain-basement pricing. Among other topics, the webinar will explore:

• What gifting features are most popular for merchants to offer
• The promotions most likely to motivate purchasing
• How Amazon impacts holiday shopping behavior
• Whether shoppers plan to buy — not just research — via their mobile devices
• How social media can help merchants drive holiday sales

In addition, the webinar will feature a bevy of examples and tactics merchants can apply immediately to boost the success of their holiday campaigns. Register for the webinar now – and stay tuned to the blog for holiday tips throughout the season.