Prepare your business for the 2021 holiday season

Following a nothing but ordinary 2020, there have been high hopes of the 2021 holiday season looking more like what we’ve been used to in the past. 

However, the pandemic is still far from over, and this especially becomes evident in the retail industry. Due to supply chain issues and shipping delays, retailers have been warning the public that some goods may be difficult to get one’s hands on for the 2021 Christmas sales. Because of this issue, many have started their holiday shopping early this year to not end up becoming victims to delivery delays or out-of-stocks. In the EMEA region, up to 21% started their holiday shopping as early as June, and 37% expect COVID-19 to affect how they shop this holiday season. 

Thus, to not miss out on potential holiday sales, retailers need to consider ways to adapt to the 2021 holiday season’s trends and behaviors. One trend that’s hard to look away from is the increasing demand for omnichannel shopping experiences. While last year’s holiday shopping was almost purely digital and also marked the biggest ever holiday season for digital spending, this year allows consumers the opportunity to visit physical stores when shopping. People increasingly want the seamless shopping experience that omnichannel retail allows such as buy online, pick up in store or hybrid shopping. 

Another thing retailers need to be upfront about this season is transparency. If a product is out of stock, when can consumers expect to see it back in your store? And in case of delivery delays, what’s the estimated timeframe? Consumers need to know what to expect when purchasing your products to increase trust, and transparency allows them to make informed purchasing decisions.

To improve your retail website and offer consumers a seamless and frictionless online experience this holiday season, Google has developed an analysis tool to assess how your business is ranking among competitors as well as to identify areas of improvement with guidance and support from the Google team. This is a helpful tool to enhance your digital presence in a competitive industry. 

As Google Premier Partner, MapsPeople’s Google Maps Platform experts are always ready to guide you with advice and recommendations to improve your retail business. This includes  Reach out to them via the link below or get more inspiration from our Google Maps blog.