E-commerce Holiday Update

EBay extends after-Christmas deal for sellers
EBay expanded its post-Christmas "Free Listing Days" promotion to three days, allowing sellers and consumers to list as many as 50,000 items with no insertion fees. EcommerceBytes (12/27)

Apple gadgets lead among mobile shoppers
Consumers who use their mobile phones and tablets to shop and research products are most likely doing so on an Apple gadget, according to research firm RichRelevance. About 92% of all non-desktop online sales in December were done on iPhones, iPads and other iOS-friendly devices. PC Magazine (12/24)

Seasonal Trends

Christmas was merriest for online merchants
U.S. consumers spent about $32 billion shopping online this season, and the e-commerce rush is likely to continue after the holidays, say analysts including Forrester Research's Sucharita Mulpuru. "Online channels will be the bright spot for retailers this year," said Deloitte analyst Alison Paul. The Tennessean (Nashville) (tiered subscription model) (12/25)

Christmas Day brings 16.4% rise in online shopping
U.S. online shopping rose 16.4% on Christmas Day compared to the same day last year, and consumers spent 172.9% more on purchases made on their mobile devices, according to IBM. The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)/The Associated Press (12/26)

Retailers push promotions via e-mail
Retailers have turned to e-mail marketing this holiday season to reach their target audience as online sales dipped moving into December, according to a new survey by Responsys. Retailers sent an average of 5.6 promotional e-mails last week, a 26% increase over last year. Internet Retailer (12/22)

Online retailers offered more guaranteed deliveries
Online and multi-channel merchants extended their order deadlines until the last minute, with some including Victoria's Secret guaranteeing delivery by Christmas Day on items ordered up until 5 p.m. last Friday. Internet Retailer (12/23)

More sites tout gift-card exchanges
As the popularity of gift cards grows, so do the number of sites willing to pay cash for unwanted cards and allow visitors to exchange the cards they won't use for ones they will. The eight featured here include Gift Card Granny, which offers up to 92% of the card's value in cash. International Business Times (12/26)

Resources

Maximize online post-holiday sales with search and social media
Historically, the days immediately following Christmas have been intense shopping periods for consumers looking to take advantage of sales, return items that weren't quite right or spend gift cards. In a recent post on the Shop.org blog, Head of Research Fiona Swerdlow shares four tips on how to maximize online sales following the Dec. 25 holiday. Blank (12/22)

Target, Wal-Mart, Macy's and Best Buy score top spots for holiday ads
Last year's best holiday commercials may have been touching and poignant, but for 2011, it's all about the laughs. According to the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association's 2011 Favorite Ads survey, more than 30% of consumers said Target had the best holiday television commercial, followed by Wal-Mart, Macy's and Best Buy -- each playing up the humor of the holidays. The best part? Nearly two in five shoppers said they were actually motivated to shop from a particular retailer because of their commercial. Watch the ads. Blank (12/21)

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