Leading Retailers Focus on Customer Experience During the Holiday Season 

As part of Radial’s 2024 peak season coverage, Radial leaders describe peak season challenges and the importance of high quality 3PL partnerships. In this article, Shauna Bowen, SVP of Strategy and Transformation at Radial, describes why retailers must focus on great customer experiences during the holiday season.

The clock is ticking on 2024, and brands need to prepare to meet high customer expectations amid an already busy holiday season. With only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, retailers are experiencing a shorter peak season this year. Per Radial’s latest consumer survey, 90% of shoppers plan to make their holiday purchases before December 1. With  eCommerce sales poised to increase by 9.5% this holiday season, there’s opportunity for retailers to boost sales and win more customers. 

Leading retailers will differentiate themselves during seasonal peaks by focusing on great customer experiences from online orders through to great delivery. That includes leveraging promotions strategically, creating personalized experiences, and giving consumers control over delivery options. 

Shoppers seek deals long before the holidays begin, and retailers can both meet consumer expectations and shape demand by strategically planning promotions. Brands like Amazon create point-in-time events like Prime Days long before Black Friday to drive sales and reward Prime program members. Likewise, Target pulled demand forward from the shortened 2024 Black Friday-to-Christmas window. The company’s promotions run weekly beginning on November 1. 

This year, budget-conscious shoppers will flock to promotions to discover deals. Retailers can also highlight flexible payment options such as “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) to help shoppers manage their holiday spending. Customers remember brands that create great promotions. Seventy-six percent of shoppers say promotions enhance a brand’s value. 

Consumers crave personalized retail experiences. And personalization helps retailers differentiate themselves from the competition. Seventy-eight percent of shoppers are likely to make repeat purchases from companies with personalization strategies and retailers drive up to 40% more revenue. 

Shoppers like to feel a connection with products and brands. Historically, eCommerce fulfillment offered few options to create personalized experiences on par with brick-and-mortar retail. Now, eCommerce merchants can build personalization into their customers’ buying journeys—from the website to email communication and product packaging. Younger shoppers are primed to recommend products and brands that match their aesthetics.  Retailers can lean into social trends like unboxing videos with custom packaging or other value-added services, like embroidery, embossing, or handwritten notes. 

Even offering something as simple as gift wrapping services wins over shoppers—especially younger ones. Over half (55%) of Gen Z are willing to pay for gift wrapping if it were offered at the right price versus 52% of Millennials, 35% of Gen X, and 24% of Baby Boomers. 
 

For most consumers making online purchases this holiday season, it ultimately comes down to shipping and delivery. In fact, 90% of consumers claim that shipping accounts for at least half of the online brand experience. Frustrating delivery experiences lead to lost customers. Seventy-one percent of online shoppers contacted customer service in the last year due to shipping or delivery issues, and 79% will avoid a brand in the future after a bad post-purchase experience. 

Retailers face a challenge: Create great delivery promises or frustrate shoppers. Consumers continue to have high expectations for order delivery. Radial’s research shows that 29% of shoppers expect their holiday gifts to be delivered within 2-3 days—a 53% increase year-over-year. Forty-five percent of consumers accept a 3–5 day delivery window, but only 26% of consumers said that waiting a week or more is acceptable. Radial also identified that consumers want more control over their delivery experiences. More than half of consumers (58%) noted they will likely use a feature to select specific delivery days—if affordable and available. 

It’s important for retailers to give their customers ultimate control over delivery options. This means being transparent about what options are available at checkout and the total shipping costs for customers. For many retailers, partnering with quality logistics providers and transportation partners expands their delivery options and improves results. 

Radial works with retailers to create seamless logistics solutions designed to delight customers. Radial’s 30+ years of experience, expertise with efficient order fulfillment for leading brands, and innovative payment solutions position brands to compete and meet customer expectations. 

Radial’s warehouse operations are designed to accommodate the dynamic needs of enterprise clients, providing the flexibility to scale up or down based on fluctuating demand. Radial’s solutions are designed to scale seamlessly with your business, allowing you to adapt to changing market conditions and customer expectations. Whether you’re experiencing rapid growth, seasonal fluctuations, or unforeseen challenges, our scalable infrastructure and flexible solutions mean you can expect strong performance throughout the year—and happier customers each holiday season. 

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