There is no better time of the year than during the festive season. December happens to be one of the best months because of its merry and festivities. A lot goes down during the Christmas festive season; from meeting up with families, bonding with old friends and of course wining and dining. Gifts, presents, cards and messages are what make this period special and worth looking forward to.
This past decade has seen a lot of transformations when it comes to Christmas and how it is celebrated. Initially, this period would be marked by exchanging of greeting cards, gifting and merry making. Well, the same still happens today but through a different model. The birth of the digital era has pretty much swept the festive season as well. Now Christmas messages, greeting cards and gifts are exchanged online. When it comes to shopping, the hustle that comes with long queues has now been eliminated as more people tend to shop online from the comfort of their homes. Well, this piece seeks to look at the radical changes that have taken place in the last few years when it comes Christmas buying and shopping:
Going online is the new trend
Online businesses have swept nearly all sectors now, with the internet being the marketing platform.
A recent study shows December registers the highest online sales for non-food items.
When it comes to shopping for presents, gifts and other non-food items more orders are been placed online. This has prompted more businesses to go online so as to meet the high demands especially during the Christmas period. Online shops like Gifts Direct (not to mention Amazon and eBay) feel increased visits not only from Ireland but from all around the world looking for some traditional gifts. This shows that more people now prefer shopping online than going to stores.
Online deliveries
Online shopping comes with online delivery as well. More buyers are shopping online then reserving them for picking at a convenient location or shop, this has been made possible through an online service called “Click and Collect”. This is more common during the festive season as shoppers buy Christmas items in advance then collect them when the season is ripe. Also, more online shoppers now trust the current delivery systems.
More orders through phones
More orders are now being placed through mobile phones than any other mediums. This is so because they are portable and one is not limited on when and where to place an order from. In addition, sale of greeting cards during Christmas has decreased as more people tend to exchange Christmas messages through their phones.
Less is spent on buying food
In the early 90’s Christmas was always marked by indulging in lots of foods and drinks. However, that is not the case today; with trends in online shopping more people tend to invest in non-food items more. This has partially been contributed by the adverse economy and also a shift from native culture.
Christmas has gone all online
More families connect with each other online during Christmas today. The birth of applications such as Skype or Viber has given them a feel of oneness even when other members are far away. In addition, messages are now exchanged online than the old tradition of catching up with old friends.
Home sick
A lot of people like to stay connected with their roots when living abroad and we miss local products. That is the time when they turn to local online retailers for hampers. Biggest benefit of purchasing Christmas hampers is that most stores can deliver them anywhere in the world, so, if you are from Ireland you can easily taste Irish tea or sweets in Australia or USA.
Gadgets are the most sort after presents
Dealers in electronics have registered a significant rise in sales during the festive season. With everything being digitalized having the latest gadgets is the new cool. Traditional gifts such as gifts and toys have now been replaced by gadgets such as iPhones, iPads, tablets, computers and desktops. This clearly indicates the first pace at which technology is getting ahead.
More discounts and offers through online shopping
Sellers online are taking advantage of increased online shopping by offering discounts, giveaways and offers during the festive season. This has seen an increase in sales during the festive season more than any other time of the year.
Less preference to superstores
Major superstores always recorded the highest sales over the Christmas period. However, with more people going for online shopping such stores are not getting the number of customers as they used to. This has forced more businesses to go online than ever before.
Well, Christmas is always a time to relax, dine and wine and bound with families. However, this is not the trend anymore with Christmas now going online. This means we should expect more changes to happen in future.