PayPal Stories Archive

The holiday shopping season is here, and it’s going to be a good one!  eMarketer predicts that US retail sales in the months of November and December 2015 will increase 5.7% year over year, reaching $885.70 billion. How can you take advantage of the coming shopping boom and increase your bottom line this year?  PayPal has identified four types of holiday shopping personalities.  Read about the different personalities below, and determine how to welcome them all to your online or brick-and-mortar store this season. You might even recognize your friends (or yourself) in one of these holiday shopping types:

 

We all have friends who seem to finish their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. Distributing a coupon or special offer early in the shopping season in October and November can help merchants ensure that they get a fair share of the Early Birds’ shopping dollars. Although they’ve got their holiday lists checked off earlier than most of us, Early Birds are known to shop the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, since they often plan ahead for these big annual shopping days. But by the beginning of December, the Early Birds have their holiday shopping all wrapped up and are ready to enjoy the holiday season, while the rest of us scramble for last-minute gifts.  

 

As the name suggests, the bargain seeker loves a good deal. Attract bargain seekers to your business with a special offer or discount. This could be a printed coupon in the mail or an online offer. Either way, with the right timing, merchants can use special offers to attract the attention of bargain seekers in search of deals during the holiday season. These types of shoppers won’t miss a good Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal!  Be sure to offer something enticing on these “sale days” to attract shoppers.  Bargain seekers are also likely to be DIYers and crafty types. So, if you sell handmade goods, be on the lookout for bargain seekers and make sure your Etsy shop is stocked and up to date for the holidays. Free shipping also goes a long way with bargain seekers, who dislike paying for anything they might see as an added or unnecessary expense. Look for merchants that offer free shipping or risk-free returns like Return Shipping on Us.

 

The big ticket buyer spares no expense for the perfect gift. The most important thing to a big ticket buyer is making sure that the recipients of their gifts feel special, so they’ll often skip the lines at Black Friday sales and opt for gifts that are a bit more unique. They aren’t necessarily worried about added expenses, so offer important extras like beautiful gift wrapping options and expedited shipping to attract these lucrative customers to your store.  To keep big ticket buyers coming back to your shop after the holidays, throw in a little something extra.  It doesn’t have to be large or costly, but a small token of appreciation does a lot to impress these discerning shoppers.

 

We all know the type, the last minute bandit does their holiday shopping the week (or the day!) before the holidays.  Bandits can’t be bothered to hit the sales or Black Friday events, they always put off their holiday shopping until the last possible minute.  However, they may be enticed by an online offer, just be sure it doesn’t expire too early in the season, or the last minute bandit might skip your shop.  Be sure to have enough product in stock later in the season for these late shoppers, and definitely offer expedited and overnight shipping to help them feel confident that their gifts will arrive in time for the holidays.

 

A final tip for attracting holiday shoppers - don’t forget to offer gift cards!  They’re great for customers who may not be able to find the perfect present for everyone on their holiday gift list. With a little advance planning, there’s no reason that merchants can’t attract all four of the holiday shopping personalities to their stores and online sites during the holidays.