We are officially in the last 3 months of the year, so this week we wanted to share some predictions and trends that we think will surge across the 2022 holiday season. The incoming peak sales season will no doubt face some challenges as the cost of living continues to rise, but history tells us that consumers won’t let anything ruin their festive traditions. Here’s what we think you should know:
The pandemic forced us to move our shopping habits online, rather than brick-and-mortar stores. With this, Cyber Monday has quickly become one of the fastest growing shopping days of the year for digital retailers. In recent studies WineDirect found that shoppers spent about $40 billion during Black Friday in 2021, creating $8.9 billion in online sales. In comparison, in 2021, Cyber Monday consumers spent $10.90 billion in online sales across the US, climbing 1.1% over the previous year, and trumping Black Friday in online sales. To get ahead with your Cyber Monday strategy, we’ve put together a guide to make sure your winery is fully prepared for the rush.
It’s no secret that holiday shopping begins earlier and earlier each year, and we think 2022 will be no different.
“Twenty-five percent of shoppers either began their holiday shopping last month or plan to begin shopping in September. Another 25% expect to begin in October, while only 40% plan to start shopping in the final two months of the year.” - Insider Intelligence
Some Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021 discounts started in early November, and for some, this year it will likely be October. With the rising cost of living and shipping costs, your customers will appreciate the elongated discount period and hopefully be able to purchase more.
According to our Q2 2022 Wine DTC Report, luxury wines generally performed better than lower-priced wines in Q1+Q2 2022. This suggests that consumers are looking for quality first, instead of the best discount or lowest price.
While shoppers may not instantly be attracted to the best deal, this may change if that deal includes their favorite luxury wine. By using WineDirect’s PromoBuilder to create enticing discounts and promotions for your higher-priced wines, you can help guide shoppers to choose both quality and quantity and increase sales across your website.
For many, the 2022 holiday season will be the first with no covid restrictions since 2020. Your customers will be ready and waiting for those all-important face-to-face interactions. We have been dealing with rising costs of fuel, airfare and hotels so far in 2022. As a result, you’ll want to ensure that you make the most of each visit to your Tasting Room. Creating fun and interesting events is key, while also securing those purchases. Perhaps combine a wine purchase with some added extras, such as a virtual tasting with the winemaker or with food pairings. Or, give customers the chance to win cooking classes with the on-site chef by entering into a draw with a wine purchase.
Do you agree with these predictions? If not, or if you have some to add then we’d love to hear from you over on our social media channels!