Your clients should be putting their finishing touches on their 2019 holiday advertising campaigns. There will be no shortage of competition for retail customers, but the good news is that Deloitte analysts are predicting a robust season. Daniel Bachman, Deloitte's U.S. economic forecaster, attributes the anticipated 4.5% to 5% increase over last year’s sales to a better economy. Specifically, consumers feel good about their job prospects, so they’re willing to spend more on gifts for friends and family members.

The Digital Boost

As has been the case in most recent years, consumers will turn to their digital devices to research gift ideas, features and prices. For many shoppers, those digital devices will also become tools to place orders. The anticipated digital holiday spending will amount to between $144 and $149 billion this year. That’s a 14% to 18% increase over 2018. Last year, the digital holiday spend was an 11.2% increase over 2017.

Omnichannel Convenience

Consumers are busier than ever with their day-​to-​day activities. They’ve learned that they don’t have to spend hours going from store to store shopping for a specific item. With little effort, they can determine which products are in stock. At least 75% of shoppers expect free delivery on orders under $50. And, if they can’t get free delivery, they want to know they can conveniently pick up their item in a local store. 

Operators of bricks-​and-​mortar stores can fight back by advertising special events related to holiday shopping. Nearly 60% of shoppers can be enticed to attend a retail event, especially if a sale or product demonstration is involved.

Remind your clients that the 2019 holiday shopping season has begun. Let them know how they look in the digital arena by running a Digital Audit on them. The tool is available in AdMall from SalesFuel and will help you pitch your digital marketing services.