The peak season is approaching its end, and regardless of the previous sales performance of sellers, they should maintain a stable mindset and make the final sprint.
Multi category Christmas season continues to sell well
Tomorrow will usher in the eagerly awaited Christmas season, with cold weather, classic red and green decorations, sparkling holiday lights, and window decals for Santa Claus and elkEuropean countries are filled with a festive atmosphere, and every Christmas, the people of European countries prepare holiday decorations, food, and Christmas gifts early.
This year, due to the impact of the epidemic, people's opportunities to socialize and shop offline have decreased, and they will spend more time online. According to research, in the past year,The average total expenditure of European consumers on online shopping is2336 euros, an increase of 11% compared to 2020.
EuropeThe categories that consumers most frequently purchase onlineincludeFashion and LeisuredressShoes, luggage accessoriesmotionhealthProductscosmetologySkin care products andSmartphonesAnd other technology products,And these will also become the hot categories for Christmas.
in additionMattress, gaming esportsetc.categorySales volume ofIt also shows obviousincreaseTrends,Online purchases in Europe in 2021Auto partsThe number of consumers has increased6%YesThe category with the most growth.
The recurrence of the epidemic this year has greatly affected people's offline shopping. In order to avoid the expansion of the epidemic, some European countries such as Germany have strengthened their epidemic lockdown efforts and notified the closure of some offline Christmas markets. This situation will also drive an increase in online consumption in the European region.
In addition to conventional online shopping platforms, social e-commerce platforms have gradually become the online shopping channels for European consumers. It is understood that,In 2021, 13% of consumers reported shopping on social media,Among many social media platforms,FacebookstillIs the first choice for consumersBut compared to2020The online purchase rate has increased this yearDescending;
relatively speakingInstagramyesThe fastest-growing social e-commerce platform,From last year's35% growth to 44% this year.consumerThe reason whyNot shopping on social mediaMainlylack of confidence.butAccording to relevant surveys,Every ten social e-commerce buyers,Eight people indicate that they are socializingplatformThe shopping experience is very good.
This year, due to shipping and supply chain issues, people's holiday shopping plans have been greatly affected. Many European online consumers have expressed their intention to shop in advance and strive to receive holiday packages during the holiday season to avoid missing the necessary goods.
Although the relevant government has called on the public to shop normally during the holiday period, consumers' enthusiasm for pre holiday shopping remains unstoppable. However, on the eve of the festival, many European countries broke out people infected with Omicron virus. With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in European countries, it is expected that a new round of epidemic will also become an important factor affecting this Christmas shopping season.
OmicronHow to celebrate Christmas in Europe under the impact?
Recently, the number of people affected by the epidemic in Europe is constantly increasing. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of cases in Britain alone has soared to a record106122 cases have created a new historical increase, which undoubtedly has a huge impact on the European people and their economy.
It is understood that due to the ongoing epidemic, the number of trips for people in Europe and other regions continues to decrease, and the number of delayed gift giving orders is also increasing rapidlyReduce the number of consumers who travel and shop, and transform them into online buyers. According to the previous two sets of traffic data, fewer shoppers went shopping on the last weekend before Christmas compared to the previous week.
Springboard data shows that in the UK alone, passenger traffic in central London is 8.5% lower than last weekend, while in other cities it is 6.4% lower. At retail locations, Saturday and Sunday passenger traffic increased by 0.8% and decreased by 1.4% respectively, indicating a downturn in physical stores.
Some organizations have previously investigatedThe week before ChristmasSales data has been predicted,AlthoughsinceSince the appearance of Omicron variantsContinuously strengthening prevention and control measures,But many consumers are still eager toReceived orderAnd receive the goods on time, so the British people areOnline on MondayofconsumptionThe expenditure will reach£ 420 million,Consumer spending in 2021 will be higher than6.9% growth in 2020.
In addition, in the last few days before Christmas, due to a series of promotional activities by retailers, many European consumers will continue to shop, and it is expected that the number of shoppers and retail sales will be higher thanIn 2020, this is good news for European sellers.
With the intensification of the supply chain and the pandemic, the European economy is still facing greater uncertainty. But overall, the trend of online consumption will continue and has become a local consumption habit. For sellers, although the sales performance of some buyers has not been optimistic since the peak season, Christmas is the finishing touch'War' is still the highlight that sellers are looking forward to.
AmazonPlatforms such as Wish and eBay have even started preparing for Christmas early on, from solving supply chain issues such as chartering ships and planes to continuously issuing new platform regulations in the near future, all of which are preparing for the end of the year. However, the seller is still very concerned whether this time it will pass silently like Black Five.
In fact, consumers had already made early purchases before Christmas, but the timely arrival of goods has become a headache for both sellers and buyers.
Peak season may face package delays
Among them, the UK is also a country with a prominent issue.
Under the impact of the epidemic, online consumption has been stimulated to some extent, and coupled with the Christmas stocking season, England Post expectsChristmas Week will usher inThe busiest week since 2021 will see an increase of 5 million packages.Especially with the recent intensification of the epidemic, some express delivery employees have been quarantined at home, which has exacerbated the pressure on logisticsHome Post warns of serious postal delays this week, including43 regions will be affected.
At the same time, logistics companies are also facing an increasing number of complaints. It is reported that in theIn the first two weeks of December, the consumer rights website Resolver has received 3173 complaints, more than double the same period in November. The main issues involved include delay or loss of packages, as well as damage to goods.
According to regulatory agenciesOfcom stated that,Nearly two-thirds of customers have encountered delivery issues in the past three months,One quarter of people find it difficult to complain or contact the package company, and according to relevant personnel, nearly every hour600 people handle lost or stolen packages.
Besides the UK, Greece is also affected by delays. Affected by epidemic prevention and control measures such as lockdowns and offline closures, online orders in Greece have skyrocketed, but delivery personnel are scarce, and buyers usually have to wait for a long time to receive the package. During the lockdown period, many local consumers expressed their dissatisfaction through social media platforms, stating thatDuring the epidemic, the delivery time is twice as long as usual, and for some well-known brands, consumers may even have to wait for more than two weeks to receive them.
However, overall, the logistics situation between China and Europe is good. From the perspective of railway freight, as of the beginning of this yearIn 10 months, the freight volume of the China Europe train has exceeded the total freight volume of last year. On the other hand, border congestion has decreased and timeliness has returned to normal.
As one of the important markets for cross-border e-commerce, Europe has been hit by the epidemic, but the enthusiasm of European consumers for online consumption remains undiminished. Sellers can pay more attention to the European market.