CONSUMER INSIGHT CON T- TA


NSUMER INSIGHT


HOW TO CAPITALISE ON THEAPITAL POST CHRISTMAS SLUMPT-


Eba y UK home & garden head of business development


Chris Gardner offffers retailers with an online presence an insight into opportunities in the post-Christmas


sales period and how to grab their share of the purchases made by the ‘sofa shoppers’.


their stockings on the mantelpiece and put their feet up. But, while Christmas shopping draws to a close, this doesn’t mean retailers can take their well-deserved rest quite yet. In fact, there’s a vital there for


C family, opportunity out those


who ar e switched on and ready to make the most of the post- Christmas period.


Whilst the tr end for heading to the high-str eet to make the most of the Boxing Day sales may now be something of the past, ther e ar e plenty of active shoppers online, and home and gar den sellers stand to benefit: fr om December 25-31 y..co.uk saw nearly


in 2016, ebay.co.uk saw


thr ee million searches in the Home, Furnitur e & DIY category alone. Not only does this period of y, friends and excess mean mor e shoppers ar e tempted to make their pur chases fr om the comfort of their living r oom, for many it’sy,, an opportunity to think about the big-ticket pur chases to impr ove their homes for the new year to come. Last year , “sofa” was ther,, “sofa” most sear ched term in the Home, Furniture and DIY category fr om December 25-31.


www.diyweek.net


ome December 24, the majority of shoppers acr oss the UK will have headed indoors for the festivities, hung


So, rather than sitting back and enjoying the festive rest just yet, here’s a couple of tips for retailers looking to embrace the trend “sofa shopping” and capitalise on this valuable window of opportunity between Christmas and New Year:


Ye


Get to know your sofa-shopper It almost goes without saying that it’s crucial to know your audience. Start by harnessing the data at your disposal from online platforms – such as shopper behaviour and customer purchase patterns – to get a picture of their habits, wants and needs. This insight can then be used to make informed pr edictions about your shoppers’ future purchases and tailor the customer experience accordingly


sofafa-shopper ingly ff


fee table or dinin Y,,


y..


For example, if a customer has recently purcha sed a side board , think about luring them back with a cof fee table or dining set in a similar style. Or if you know someone’s a dab hand at DIY , why not inspir e them with the latest


tools to tackle their New Year projects head on.


fittings and Ye


Connect with customers at the right time


According to searches on ebay hes on ebay was We y..co.uk


in 2016, the peak search day for the Home, Furniture & DIY category during this window of opportunity Wednesday,y, December


28.


Indeed, fr om the 26th to the 28th, overall category searches increased by 35% and searches for “wardrobe” specifically rose by 28%.


behaviour, you can gain a gr eater understanding of how to manage your inventory effectively and be ready for these trends ahead of time. Online retail offers sellers the flexibility to appr oach customers in a timely and meaningful manner connecting with them with the right product at exactly the right moment.


By using shopping data and understanding r,,


specific customer ff and meaningful manner The gift of a good listing


At times when so much of your competition will be online, it’s important to make sure your virtual shop window and products are grabbing shoppers’ attention and standing out from the crowd. Think about how to make your listings more attractive to customers – from using high quality photography to writing detailed product descriptions.


ab


Between Christmas and New Year on e y.


Ye ebay.co.uk last year r,, big-


ticket times, such as sofas, sofa beds, coffee tables, chest of drawers and desks, featured in the top search items in the Home, Furnitur e & DIY category , with “shed” being the mosty,, w searched-for item in the Garden & Patio category


gory y..


With thWi ith these big purchases at the top of the sofa-shoppers’ lists,


r,,


it’s mor e important than ever that your listings are convincing. And remember , the devil’s in ther,, the devil’s in details – fr om the size, shape and material of the pr oduct, to method f delivery, make sure you wrap up all the information your shopper might need to make their pur chase. listing


of delivery y, And don’t for get, the are cateri ng to families,


description also affects how easily shoppers can find your products. Adapt your description to meet the needs of your customers: if you include


relevant keywords to demonstrate this, as well as the ones appropriate to your pr oduct. This means your inventory will be more likely to show up in searches. For instance, if you think a particular shed would be a great fit for a small garden, make sure your listing highlights this – the more relevant keywords you provide, the more visibility you’ll get for your products.


After a hectic build up to Christmas, many retailers may be tempted to put their feet up until the January sales kick in. However, ther,,


anuary sales kick in. However opportunities in the Home & Garden sector during this period are simply too great to miss. Tor


To eally capitalise


on this trend for sofa shopping, make sure you remain nimble and fleet of foot; have the right products in place for customers, and let the right people know about your stock at the right time.


15 DECEMBER 2017 DIY WEEK 9


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