News Feature | November 23, 2016

Verizon Retail Index Returns To Gauge Holiday Shopping Patterns For 2016

Christine Kern

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Holiday Shopping Patterns

Digital strategies and storefronts remain ke

As the 2016 holiday shopping season kicks off, the Verizon Retail Index returns to help gauge consumer shopping patterns. This marks the third annual Index, which returns November 21 to provide insights to industry stakeholders.

Last year’s report demonstrated that “it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” with the post-Christmas market being as important if not more important than Black Friday. It also found that Cyber Monday has lost its sparkle, and deadlines are motivators for shopping, whether they are final shipping deadlines or time-bound sales opportunities.

The Verizon Retail Index tracks ecommerce traffic across Verizon’s broadband networks to the top 25 U.S.-based online retailers. Throughout the season, group vice president for retail, distribution and hospitality with Verizon Enterprise Solutions, Michele Dupré, offers insights based on the Index findings.

“As last year’s Verizon Retail Index revealed, the message for retailers continues to focus on honing digital strategies and ‘storefronts’ because customers are now living in a digital world,” said Dupré. “While bricks and mortar will continue to play a dominant role this season for capturing wallet share, it’s imperative to make digital experiences seamless for consumers with mobile ‘malls’ in their hands and an incredible, easy-to-navigate array of choices at their fingertips.”

Publication dates for the report include:

  • Monday, November 21 (Initial report)
  • Friday, November 25 (Thanksgiving Report)
  • Saturday, November 26 (Black Friday Report)
  • Monday, November 28 (Thanksgiving Weekend Report)
  • Tuesday, November 29 (Cyber Monday report)
  • Monday, December 65 (First week of December report)
  • Monday, December 12 (Second Week of December report)
  • Monday, December 19 (Third week of December report)
  • Tuesday, December 27 (Final week before Christmas report, with final shipping deadlines, Super Saturday and Christmas figures)
  • Tuesday, January 3, 2017 (Post New Year’s weekend report)
  • Thursday, January 5, 2017 (Wrap-up report).

“Consumers are now wise to the new holiday shopping season ‘normal’ where the old rules no longer apply when it comes to offering incentives, keeping stores open and making those critical conversions,” added Dupré. “The keys for retail success will involve tailoring offers to customers, meeting them where they’re at for convenience and making them feel they are getting value so they do not hold out until the last minute.”

y components for retailer initiatives.