As the holiday season rages on, keeping a finger on the pulse of spending trends and utilizing appropriate payment technology and software can help you build relationships with customers and boost revenue – last year, holiday retail sales were around $730 billion, and that figure is expected to be about 4% higher this year.

By leveraging these holiday-spending trends, merchants can ensure a simple and positive experience, and software companies and marketplaces can provide integrated tools to help them do just that.

2019 Holiday Trends

Shoppers are Hitting Stores Earlier than Ever

Gone are the days of last-minute shopping – shoppers are looking to beat the rush and check their lists twice well before the clock strikes zero. Take advantage by being prepped for the holiday madness as early as possible – you should be ready to hit the ground running now.

Voice-Assisted Shopping on the Rise

Using devices from brands like Amazon, Google and Apple, customers are increasingly utilizing voice assistants for shopping needs. This can mean both the purchase of items and the seeking of information, meaning merchants need to ensure a quick voice search yields satisfying results about their business3. Solidify strategies for attacking voice assistant capabilities and ensure voice assistants can drive shoppers to their physical locations as online and offline continue to collide.

Offline and Online Continue to Merge

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, distinctions between sale days and the separation between online and in-person deals are becoming more and more blurred. Customer spending comes through many different channels and eCommerce options. Offer up choices and convenience to ensure you hit on all of them.

Security and Accessibility Remain Key

Despite the increased role of technology, customers still expect the kind of personal experience you’d find at a mom-and-pop shop. Even eCommerce brands are opening physical locations to better provide this experience. This also comes alongside an ever-growing focus on security – merchants and payment facilitators will quickly be left behind if their solutions aren’t providing a comfortable and safe experience. Take the time to make sure your platform accounts for the safety your customers need and save both time and headaches down the road.

Customer Experiences are a Focus

Customers are increasingly concerned with experiences that elevate their purchasing experience. Ordering online and picking up in-store, pop-up experiences that offer nontraditional shopping experiences, technology being integrated into every step of the shopping experience – all of these and more can heighten customer relationships and engagement. Get on board with a simple and all-in-one payment solution that allows you to focus in on the experience, not snags in the logistics.

How Can You Keep Up?

There’s an overarching solution to help you leverage all of these trends – moving to a one-stop, full-service solution can help ease the burden of trying to keep pace with the ever-churning world of commerce, both in-store and online.

To learn more about how a customized and modular payments platform can solve your business needs, visit amaryllispay.com/platform/.