Market research firm comScore reported recently that ecommerce shopping for the holidays will likely grow 15 percent in 2011, compared to figures from a year ago. Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, comScore pegged holiday ecommerce spending at $37.6 billion for November and December.
In the first 20 days of November, comScore found that Americans spent more than $9 billion on early holiday shopping. As the season progresses and stores begin offering more aggressive deals and highlighting certain products, this will grow rapidly.
For marketers, aggressive social media marketing campaigns can help during the holidays, especially as the web has provided more options than ever to find good prices. Brafton reported earlier this month that a study found the average consumer views 10.4 sources before deciding upon a purchase. Providing social content that links back to strong website content will likely help businesses boost web conversions during the holidays.
As more businesses feel some strains due to still lagging consumer confidence, comScore found free shipping to be more popular. The report suggests 46 percent of consumers are more likely to shop with a company that offers free shipping than another.
