According to Econsultancy, market conditions aren’t looking great this year, especially in the UK. Due to uncertainty about Brexit, consumer confidence is at its lowest point in a decade, and Christmas spending is only expected to grow by 550 million.
If you want to capture new business this festive season, you’ll have to work harder to understand potential buyers and market to them effectively.
Here are four Christmas shopper personas that will help you understand the motivations of your customers a little better.
The 4 most important buyer personas
The cautious Christmas shopper
Lots of buyers are going to be a little more careful with their spending this Christmas because of political instability.
In 2018, 27% of consumers said they had changed their spending habits because of Brexit, and 13% said they would reign in their budgets even more in 2019.
This type of shopper is less likely to make impulse purchases. They plan out what they’re going to buy in advance and go to the mall with a plan.
They also like to read reviews and look at informative content like buying guides to help guide their purchasing decisions. So, if you want to appeal to this shopper, it’s a good idea to put some gift guides up on your website.
Cautious consumers are also less likely to respond to marketing messages that emphasise luxury. They’re looking to buy useful gifts at affordable prices and aren’t usually looking to splurge.
The loyalist
Some shoppers are going to stay loyal to the brands they love this holiday season. These shoppers are unlikely to buy from other brands even if they offer better, cheaper prices.
One of the best ways to reach this type of customer and convince them to shop is through email marketing. If you send them targeted emails with holiday offers or product recommendations, it’s likely that you’ll get their business again this Christmas.
The last-minute buyer
According to Google, most of us are last-minute shoppers.
Only 18% of people buying Christmas gifts get their shopping done during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday long weekend.
The vast majority of shoppers — around 70% — are still buying gifts right up until Christmas.
Last-minute buyers don’t have much time to shop and use their smartphones to quickly gather information about product availability, delivery timeframes, and store hours.
If that kind of information isn’t readily accessible on your website, shoppers will likely move on and make their down-to-the-wire purchases somewhere else. So make sure that your web presence is strong and up-to-date as we head into the holiday season.
The price-conscious shopper
According to Marketing Donut, bargain hunters are the most likely to make an impulse purchase out of all other buyers. If the price is right, these shoppers will pull out their credit cards to buy something they don’t even really need.
The best way to attract this type of shopper is to make sure that your prices are competitive and run special offers often. Bargain shoppers also appreciate free shipping more than most, so target them with a free delivery offer if you want to encourage them to buy.
Even though this holiday season is looking rough for retailers, it doesn’t have to be for you. If you know who your ideal customer is and target them with the kinds of marketing messages and special offers that appeal to them most, you’ll be sure to win their business this Christmas.