How to maximise on Autumn as an eCommerce retailer

If leaves turning beautiful orange hues, rainy walks, and evenings snuggled in front of the fire marks your favourite time of the year, you are not alone! In fact, 1/3 of Brits say that Autumn is their favourite season. As the fear of a recession looms and retailers are fighting harder for essential sales, we believe now is the time to make the most out of savvy shoppers. Even though retail sales fell by a further 1.6% in September 2022, we are heading towards the most popular time of the year for people to part with their cash.

With budgets being lower than previously, there is still a slice of the (pumpkin) pie to be had, but it means that eCommerce businesses will need to work harder than ever before. In this article, we will examine why consumers love this season so much and what you can do to make your business appeal, even when spending is lower. 

What is it about the Autumn that gets people spending?

With every seasonal change, there is an uprising of emotion, whether its happiness or distain. Autumn is the one season that seems to unite everyone, as it provides the best of both worlds with days full of gleaming sunshine for the summer lovers but temperatures that allow people to wrap up for those who prefer winter weather.

Seasonal spending in the Autumn is a trend that has seemingly travelled over the pond from the US, with the ‘Fall’ season being a large contributing factor to the 14.1% digital increase in sales that was experienced in 2021. The UK has been quick to adopt the eCommerce trends over recent years, with trends such as ‘Friendsgiving’ and ‘Black Friday’ becoming staples in the UK calendar.

We think the main reasons that people love Autumn are the very ones that retailers should understand to make their products stand out. Knowing what your consumers are thinking and feeling makes it easier to market successfully to them.

We believe that consumers love to spend more in Autumn because of the following reasons:

- The cosy weather makes people feel more content and happier. Therefore, they are less likely to overthink spending if it is on a product or service that will contribute to them feeling even better about themselves.

- Psychologically, Autumn is seen as a time to make fresh starts. The Autumn months represent the start of the school year and returning TV shows. With people setting new goals and working on adopting new routines, they are more likely to need new products in support of this.

- Scientifically, Autumn offers the perfect temperatures for humans, which means spending money on items associated with the time of year is favoured. Whilst some people will resent having to purchase summer clothing for a season they hate, Autumn provides seasonal comforts that people are willing to spend money on.

- Spending more time in the home encourages people to want to make their surroundings more comfortable. Anything from renting a movie to spending money on a seasonal candle makes for added ambiance in the colder months.

- This is the season that holds the most amount of seasonal holders out of the entire year with thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Bonfire Night and most of the Christmas festivities taking place before the official start of Winter. Seasonal spending is not just enjoyed with the purpose of buying things for other but also spending on oneself. In fact, 57% of US consumers say they are likely to treat themselves during holiday seasons!

How can you maximise eCommerce activity in the Autumnal months?

Now that you know exactly why people are spending money, it's essential to understand what you can do within your digital marketing campaign to ensure you are spending on your products.

Organic Social Media Cold and rainy weather can lead to engagement rates that are as much as 90% higher on social media! This proves that it's the right time to work on your organic posting as you have an audience around that is more likely to be interested in the content that you are putting out. There are also lots of brilliant hashtags and trends that you can jump on in the Autumnal months, so it's important to set time or budget aside for organic and reactive content posting.

Paid Advertising There are more people online, but it will still be complex to convert them to paying consumers due to tighter spending habits. Therefore, paid advertising should be more targeted and feature emotional marketing to stop people in their tracks when they are mindlessly scrolling through social feeds. Studies show that advertising can be, on average, 31% more successful if emotive themes are included, which are easy to harness during the months focused on family and hunkering indoors.

Promotions Shoppers will be looking for ways to save money and expect to see the annual promotions that greet them during the upcoming months. If your business fails to participate in Black Friday and seasonal shopping, you will not just miss out on customers but also look irrelevant to consumers.

Tone of Voice and Messaging This is something that we think is important all year round, especially in the shopping-focused months. Now is the time to revisit your product propositions and consumer outreach messaging to ensure you are meeting the ever-changing needs of the modern consumer.

Do you need help harness Autumn's power in your eCommerce digital marketing campaigns? At Kopa Marketing, we specialise in creating compelling messaging and stand-out advertising that guarantees results.

Get in touch with us today to find out more!

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