How the pandemic has changed Christmas shopping
Forget everything you thought you knew about how people shop at Christmas.
It’s 2020, and all bets are off. Everyone’s making it up as they go along, and anything goes: this was clear when John Lewis opened their Christmas shop in August.
Since then, mince pies hit the shelves alongside back to school essentials. People are arranging alternatives to office parties and pantomimes. It is entirely acceptable to load up trolleys with everything from Christmas pudding to wrapping paper (just, for the love of all things jingly, leave the toilet paper hoarding).
The reality is that nobody is waiting for October to start shopping (this has traditionally when shopping for Christmas started in earnest). If you sell things that people buy for Christmas, then you can be sure they are already checking out what’s available this year. Now is the time to get your Christmas marketing house in order, as I explained previously.
So people are starting their Christmas shopping earlier, but how else have their habits changed?
Local independents
People want to spend their money in their local communities. Two-thirds of people responding to a Think with Google survey said they will shop more at local small businesses this year, and this trend is backed by Google reporting an increase of over 100% in searches for “available near me”.
On the one hand, local shopping can be more convenient, but there’s more to this trend. During a year where many people feel they have had the opportunity to reflect on their lives, there is a trend away from the large multinationals in favour of the independents in community who went out of their way to help during lockdown.
Shoppers will want to repay the efforts of the local shops with both loyalty and custom.
What does this mean for your Christmas marketing? Embrace and show off your local indie credentials. Remind people of what you have available and if you offer free local delivery and/or click and collect, shout about it, repeatedly!
Staying in is the new going out
Forget the usual social calendar - it’s all about staying in. That means instead of spending on elaborate meals out or fancy party outfits, people will more likely splash out on amazing decorations, home improvements or small treats to embrace the hygge and make their homes more cosy or to indulge themselves.
What does this mean for your Christmas marketing? Showcase the products and services you offer that will allow people to make spending time at home feel comforting and indulgent. Use photography and language in your marketing copy that shows you are aware that this Christmas will feel very different to previous years - using photos of office Christmas parties or bustling, busy high streets will not resonate with your audience in 2020.
Connecting with loved ones
Christmas shopping like this seems a million miles away from the current reality.
Photo by Kevin Dowling on Unsplash
We all missed out on so much this year. Seeing people we love, momentous celebrations, holidays, shows…
This Christmas I think we will see people make more of an effort to stay in touch with and potentially gift loved ones near and far to try to make up in some way for these missed opportunities of connection.
What this means for your marketing: Letterbox gifts will be very popular, as will anyone who is able to offer free shipping and/or international shipping. If you make or sell Christmas cards, it might be an idea to think about how you can differentiate your offer this year to make it stand out more in a crowded marketplace.