Ready or not, here comes the busiest – and arguably most fun – shopping season of the year! With Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and overall holiday shopping, November has it all! Now’s when marketers should leave no stone unturned to give their consumers what they want. Let’s have a look at this month’s big e-commerce opportunities.

Thanksgiving

Happy Gobble Gobble Day!

Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the 3rd Thursday of November. As the name suggests, Thanksgiving is about expressing gratitude and enjoying a big family feast. To give thanks, family members and friends usually sit around the dinner table and share what they’re thankful for that year. Then it’s time to eat!

Typical Thanksgiving foods include:

  • turkey
  • mashed potatoes
  • yams (with or without the delicious marshmallow topping)
  • sweet corn
  • cranberry sauce
  • pumpkin pie

And with the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the American football game on TV, advertisers are spoiled for choice when it comes to how to spend their ad budget.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday

On the day after Thanksgiving, it’s time to “shop ‘til your drop”. Black Friday gets people in the mood to spend more – and save more: Discounts and promotions are what it’s all about on Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday. In our October blog, we talked about how online retailers can get ready for Black Friday (this year: November 24th) and Cyber Monday (November 27th). It’s not uncommon for consumers to pre-select items they want weeks or even months in advance to hit the “Buy now” button when the price is right.

 

Where does Black Friday come from?
In the mid-20th century, retailers and police officers in Philadelphia started using the term Black Friday to refer to the shopping rush that followed Thanksgiving. It’s since become a nationwide tradition of offering discounts and welcoming the holiday shopping season. There are a few theories on why it’s called “Black” Friday. The most likely one has to do with the idea that retailers’ accounting records would go from being in the red (= losses) to being in the black (= profits).

Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) always takes place on November 2nd. This Mexican holiday commemorates dead ancestors in a festive way. People decorate their homes with colorful paper garlands (papel picado) and put out regional treats such as skulls made of sugar or chocolate (tzompantlis). A big part of Día de los Muertos is to honor lost ancestors with their favorite foods, ranging from tamales or male (Mexican sauces) to pan de muerto (bread for the dead). And don’t forget about the mezcal – cheers!

Holiday shopping

Q4 is the pinnacle of holiday shopping. Indeed, this time of year leaves very little for a marketer’s heart to be desired. It’s time to get creative with your e-commerce sales campaigns. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Create gift sets & bundles

Gift sets are a great way to sell more of your products that complement each other. Added bonus: These sets will limit your consumers’ decision fatigue, making a sale that much more likely. Think: “All-you-need-for-your-fancy-charcuterie-board” set or a basket of scented candles, soaps and hand towels. Flash sales create a sense of urgency and have the added benefit of getting rid of end-of-season stock!

Decorate your virtual storefront

Give your online shoppers some eye candy so they’ll never want to click elsewhere. A great way to create some visual holiday buzz is to choose a seasonal design theme to draw people in. If you’d prefer to go small, then themed emojis are a great place to start.

Make your discount options extra special

Get your consumer base excited about their shopping with special discounts. Rather than the usual “Buy 1, get 1 free” option, you could encourage a minimum spend, such as “Get 10% off if you spend $100 or more”. To make your holiday sales extra fun, consider themed discount codes for each big holiday, such as “SANTA” for Christmas or “NEW” for New Year’s. Keep in mind that November is the perfect time to give your upcoming December deals their final touch!

Conclusion

From the warm, heartfelt celebration of Thanksgiving to the shopping extravaganzas that are Black Friday and Cyber Monday, November is packed with endless potential for e‑commerce businesses. The food and tech industry, in particular, have all eyes on them as shoppers fill their carts to the brim this time of year. And don’t forget that Christmas and New Year’s are right around the corner!



Sources

 

autor_eurotext_100Author: Eurotext Editorial Team

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