Retailers preparing for the holiday season have more to think about than what’s going to be on sale.
“COVID clouds commerce, no matter how you look at it,” says Quantum Metric’s Dan Murray. “It is making this holiday season incredibly uncertain.”
What is certain is that stores will be pushing everything from electronics to toys to fulfill those wishlists.
“You have antsy consumers and aggressive retailers and that creates that mix...creates more sales,” says Klaviyo’s Jake Cohen.
Online shopping is up 100 percent year-over-year and experts say e-commerce will be king.
“Just as retailers always do, they’re going to save the biggest deals for Cyber Weekend,” Murray predicts.
Big box and department stores are still grappling with how to handle traditional doorbusters. Industry experts say some may go digital.
And like years past, retailers are hiring. Tens of thousands of seasonal jobs are available, from in-store to warehouse work.
“It’s not just Amazon,” says John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “It’s going to be other retailers that look at where their customers are and adjust their hiring levels.”