E-commerce: How to boost your end-of-year sales?
The end-of-year sales period, or Shopping Season, marks the major commercial events that punctuate your calendar: back-to-school, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, end-of-year festivities.
But in a context where inflation is weighing on purchasing power, your customers are adapting their buying behavior, and are above all looking for bargains.
In 2024, Black Friday generated 808 million euros in online sales in France¹, up 4.7% from 2023. These figures prove that, even in a tense economic environment, demand remains strong.
Find out how to improve your end-of-year sales with method and ambition, to make this period a decisive highlight for boosting your profitability
Good preparation, the key to successful end-of-year sales
Meticulous preparation is essential to the success of your end-of-year sales: it turns every highlight into a sales and loyalty-building opportunity.
Define your objectives and strategy
- Draw up a precise timetable: The success of your end-of-year sales depends first and foremost on a clear timetable. Include highlights such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, but also your own operations: discounts, coupons or cashback offers.
- Think beyond the highlights: Don’t just wait for the big dates: plan teasing phases to generate interest beforehand, and then targeted follow-ups after each event to extend your promotions and strengthen customer loyalty.
- Set varied objectives: Don’t limit yourself to figures (sales, average basket, repeat purchases). Take advantage of Shopping Season to build brand awareness and acquire new customers.
- Target your segments: Tailor your offers to your audiences, reserving specific benefits for loyal customers and dedicated promotions for new prospects.
- Rely on the expertise of your Rakuten E-Commerce Consultant: he or she will support you in your strategic choices and adapt your actions to your product category.
Prepare your promotions
The success of your end-of-year sales depends on attractive offers that are always profitable. Each promotion must preserve your contribution margin: seducing your customers doesn’t mean sacrificing your bottom line.
Here are the main options to activate:
- Direct discounts via time-limited coupons
- Bundles and flash sales to clear your stock quickly
- Cashback, to stimulate purchases
- Free express delivery, ideal for last-minute purchases
- Double points or gifts to boost customer loyalty
- Enhanced loyalty programs (early access to certain promotions)
- Personalized offers based on purchase history
Don’t hesitate to highlight your end-of-year promotions with dedicated banners, smart pop-ups or publish ephemeral stories on your social networks.
With Rakuten, your most attractive promotions gain in impact: they are highlighted on the home page and in search results, strategic locations that boost your visibility and transform the Shopping Season into a real sales gas pedal.
Don’t forget to distribute your offers via email and SMS marketing for last-minute reminders, but also to relay them through partnerships with influencers and on online price comparison sites like Google Shopping, to ensure maximum coverage.
Anticipate traffic growth
Black Friday 2024 generated an 11% increase in online transactions in France², confirming the scale of end-of-year sales and the challenges they entail. To absorb this surge, every link in your business needs to be ready:
- E-commerce site: monitor server status, correct 404 pages and prepare redirects. Carry out load tests in advance to avoid any blockages
- Loading speed: every extra second increases cart abandonment.
- Optimize your pages to secure your conversions
- Deliveries: more orders means more parcels to process. Plan for longer delivery times and communicate them clearly: transparency = trust
- Customer service: activate auto-reply to acknowledge receipt, prioritize emergencies (payments, blocked orders) and maintain a dynamic, regularly-updated FAQ to quickly answer your customers’ most frequently asked questions
Stocks and deliveries: an essential pillar of your year-end sales
Inventory and logistics management are key to the success of your year-end sales. Rely on past data to establish your forecasts and maintain sufficient levels to avoid stock-outs, the nightmare of every Shopping Season.
Prepare for the increase in orders: optimize packaging and shipping, and reinforce your teams if necessary. Always communicate in advance about your delivery times, even if they are extended: this transparency builds trust and facilitates customer loyalty.
Plan a clear and visible returns policy. A simplified process, such as direct printing of labels, reassures your buyers and smoothes the conversion funnel.
Have you ever considered outsourcing your logistics to better manage your end-of-year sales? Rakuten Fulfillment Network (RFN) takes care of all your operations, giving you the benefit of :
- Centralized management of your orders, including those outside Rakuten
- Competitive rates
- Save time so you can concentrate on your e-commerce sales and customer service
During end-of-year sales, RFN allows you to delegate logistical complexity and concentrate on your sales and seasonal marketing. Dreame, a Chinese household appliance brand, testifies:
“Before RFN, shipping took 7 to 10 days. Today, orders shipped before 2pm are delivered in less than 48 hours, which has considerably improved customer satisfaction.”
Optimize your customer journey
Several steps are essential to ensure a smooth customer journey for your end-of-year sales:
- During end-of-year sales, your buyers don’t tolerate detours. The more unnecessary steps you impose on them, the more likely you are to lose them along the way. By simplifying your conversion funnel (streamlined forms, rapid validation, one-click payment), you offer them a fast, fluid experience that limits abandonment and speeds up the purchasing decision. This efficiency helps build a relationship of trust that lasts well beyond the first order.
- Indicate the price, delivery times and return conditions on the product data sheet: this clarity dispels any doubts and secures the purchase. What’s more, offering several secure payment solutions reassures your customers at the decisive moment. Finally, an optimized mobile experience is essential, since most orders, especially during Black Friday, are now placed from a smartphone.
- On the support side, train or reinforce your teams to effectively manage the increase in demand. At the same time, set up a dedicated FAQ and chatbots to handle recurring questions, allowing your advisors to focus on emergencies. Responsiveness remains paramount. Responding to reviews, even negative ones, shows that you take your customers seriously. This attention turns criticism into an opportunity for dialogue, eases frustrations and reinforces trust in your brand.
By optimizing the customer journey during your end-of-year sales, you’re not just simplifying the act of buying. You’re laying the foundations for long-term success, strengthening customer loyalty while ensuring regular income.
As your needs evolve and your customers’ expectations continue to grow, our E-Commerce Consultants are here to support you!
