By Simon Besley

So, as happens every year, Q4 ‘Silly Season’ and the question of ‘The Busiest Day’ rears its head and online retailers scramble to ensure that their products are in stock, keenly-priced and made available to as many online shoppers as possible.

This year will be no different and, if we’re to believe the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index – which showed that UK shoppers spent over £4.67 billion online in December 2008 (the equivalent of £76.67p for every person in the UK, and a 14% increase on December 2007) – the recession is driving shoppers online more than ever.

Typically, most people shop online (from the comfort of their office chairs) on a Monday, no doubt taking advantage of PC access and quicker internet connections, not to mention the attraction of a leisurely start to the working week.

Indeed, 2008 saw Monday, 8th December as the peak online shopping day – compared to Saturday, 20th December on the high-street, according to Visa – and the IMRG also showed that most business was done between 1pm and 2pm.

My uncomplicated prediction for the killer date in your diary this year?

Monday December 7th.

Obviously, there’s no hard and fast rule to this (although I’m sure the Post Office will play its usual part in swaying consumer confidence), but consumers are well aware of the dangers of ordering those Christmas presents too late in the day, and are affording themselves more of a buffer.

With that in mind, here’s a quick checklist for our ChannelAdvisor clients to optimise that holiday season traffic:

-Stock levels clearly shown
-Images clear and showing correctly
-Any promotions (shipping, discounts etc.) repeated throughout the site

Worth also noting is that Amazon has (from the 13th October until 1st January) abolished shipping costs, something that resonates strongly with consumers, even if that cost has been absorbed into the product price.

I’d be interested to know whether you have your own take on the festive season and its opportunities, and if some of you have actually – historically – seen a different consumer buying pattern in the run-up to Christmas.
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Simon Besley is a Senior Account Manager on the UK ChannelAdvisor team where he develops eCommerce strategy and growth for several leading online retailers. He has worked in the online retail environment since 2002 and previously held positions with Dealtime/Shopping.com and Webloyalty.

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