Tag Archives: habits

News

Economic conditions impacting Christmas spending for over 60% of consumers

Nearly half of UK respondents plan to spend less than they did in 2021, while 15% say they won’t shop at all this Christmas season

Fluent Commerce, a leading provider of a cloud-native distributed Order Management System, today released the findings of its annual ‘Top Holiday Shopper Trends’ consumer spending research, revealing that current economic conditions are impacting the spending plans of over 60% of shoppers.

The research, carried out among 1,000 adult consumers in the UK, tracks spending behaviours and intentions ahead of the holiday season. Among the headline findings, 15% of respondents say they are not going to plan seasonal shopping at all, up from 8% in 2021. In addition, 36% will spend about the same as last year but nearly half will spend less – that is a larger decrease in spend than in 2021.

 

Nearly half (44%) of consumers say they plan a mix of online and in-store shopping, while 12% will shop purely in store, same as the previous year. When choosing to spend with one retailer over another, free delivery is important to over three quarters (79%) of online shoppers, with next day delivery ‘very important’ to two thirds (65%) of all respondents.

 

Looking at product availability, most consumers (68%) said it would damage their view of a brand or store if an item they went to purchase wasn’t in stock having been informed online that it was. Unsurprisingly, three quarters said if a product was sold out, they would go to a competitor site.

 

Additional research findings include:

  • If an online order is delayed 43% say it is likely they won’t shop with that retailer in future.

  • If an item is out of stock when shopping in a store, 70% said they would purchase the item if a member of staff could find it in another location and get it to them.

  • Returns to a physical store were important even if something was ordered online. 68% confirmed that point.

 

“Because of the understandable degree of spending caution among the majority of holiday season shoppers, retailers need to raise their game and adapt quickly if they are to maximise margins on every sale at this time of year,” commented Nicola Kinsella, SVP of global marketing at Fluent Commerce. “Keeping up to date with consumer preferences and shopping trends is vital, but we know many retailers struggle to give shoppers the kind of experience that determines both engagement and loyalty. As the data reveals, failing to take control of their inventory accuracy will simply mean today’s savvy shoppers will go elsewhere. And changes are they won’t come back”

 

To download a copy of the Fluent Commerce ‘Top Holiday Shopper Trends 2022’ report, click here.

News

Make your cyber habits stick for better online security

It can take as little as 18 days to form a habit, and 66 days for this new behaviour to become automotive. Once you do learn a habit, however, it becomes second nature.  

Why does this matter for online security? Well, forming a more robust security culture around yourself takes commitment, but once you get it and stick to it – it’s not going anywhere. You can then rest easy knowing your data and credentials are being kept safe from cyberattacks.  

The UK is dealing with a rising national security threat from online scammers with nearly two-fifths of businesses experiencing a cyber-attack in the past 12 months. The market is clearly in a weak spot, and the cost-of-living crisis may be adding fuel to the fire. Businesses are now cutting back on expenses to manage the rising costs, but this will be detrimental to online security. Simple changes that could prevent cyber-attacks, like not repeating the same passwords, are not being implemented as 64% of breached passwords were used across multiple accounts. It is important to develop habits that ensure cyber health, whether it’s for personal or professional use.  

  

Start a routine for good cyber habits 

We often assume that data breaches won’t happen to us. We read the news about somebody’s accounts getting hacked, or a business having a breach, and we never imagine that we could be on the receiving end. However, this is exactly how cyber-attacks happen and targets are often unsuspecting, unaware users. 

There are many steps you can take and tools you can easily implement to ensure your data is kept safe online. If it seems like a hefty task at first, start small, and build it up over time. Forming a habit is all about routine, and once you’re in the swing of things it will become second nature. Kick off your cyber secure future by following these tips: 

Trust your gut, don’t click on suspicious, untrusted links – Phishing links, credential harvesting sites, and other forms of social engineering can come through a suspicious text, an odd message through your social media account, or a weird phone call. Stay one step ahead by using the same caution and skepticism regardless of where the message comes from.    

Update Software and Backup Devices – Keeping software updated and backing up data is important in case your computer breaks down, but it’s also a smart idea to do this in case you fall victim to a cyberattack. No one wants to have their data held hostage or, worse, permanently deleted.  

Use strong passwords and multifactor authentication (MFA) – A strong password is the first and most essential line of defence against a cyberattack. While a password is the most common form of authentication, it’s worth noting there are others. Each time you add another form of authentication to your tool belt, you improve your cyber security.   

Take advantage of wider tools, such as a password manager – A password manager organises all of your passwords in one place. It provides security to protect those passwords and makes it a lot easier for you to have a strong, unique password for everything.  

 

Password managers for safety 

When creating strong passwords, utilising a password manager is a major benefit. It is a software application that is designed to store and manage online credentials, ensuring your private details are secured.  

Password managers prevent cyber hackers and scammers by using strong encryption. These devices use industry-standard protection, making it virtually impossible for hackers to access your passwords. There are other benefits included in password managers besides just protecting your accounts with hard-to-decipher passwords, such as: 

  1. Simplifying online shopping – your password manager website will fill in all your payment and shipping details on the checkout page whilst online shopping, saving you time and effort. 
  1. Dark web monitoring – data breaches are becoming a regular occurrence with data being leaked online. This feature will alert you if any of your personal information is at risk and if your logins have appeared online. It will also advise you on the next steps to protect your account. 
  1. Storing information – you can store other critical pieces of information, documents and notes safely on your password manager. If you have important travel documents or itineraries or emergency contact information you want to keep safe, it is in one safe and secure vault. 

 

Honouring new habits 

It is imperative that we all start taking precautions to secure our online selves and prevent cyber hackers from gaining access before they have the chance. While never a one-stop shop, it’s never too late to start incorporating safe practices and tools. Think of it like going to the gym – you need to keep at it to see the benefits. After all, ensuring your safe online and passwords are secure should be something you don’t even need to think about. 

  

News

October is the New November: UK and US shoppers plan to start Christmas shopping early, according to new research

Fluent Commerce, the leading provider of a cloud-native distributed Order Management System (OMS), has published new research showing many consumers plan to start their holiday shopping early in 2021. In the U.S., nearly a third (28%) plan to start before November, with more than half before Black Friday. U.K. shoppers are less likely to start as early, but over a fifth (21%) said they plan to start their holiday shopping before November, and 42% before Black Friday.

Looking at consumer spending plans, in the U.S., almost a third of shoppers plan to spend more than they did last holiday season, with 17% saying they will spend much more. Meanwhile in the U.K., 22% plan to spend more. There is also an emerging generation spending gap, with half of U.S. and U.K. consumers who are considered Generation Z — specifically, those between the ages of 18-24 — planning to spend more on their holiday shopping this year versus last year.

Asked about their plans to shop in-store vs online, 17% of U.S. and 11% of U.K. consumers plan to do all of their holiday shopping in-store. In addition, over three-quarters of U.S. consumers and nearly 9 in 10 of U.K. consumers plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping online, with women favouring online more than men.

“For many consumers, October is clearly the new November when it comes to holiday season shopping and they are looking to get organised early and hunt down bargains before the traditional rush in November and December,” said Nicola Kinsella, vice president, global marketing, Fluent Commerce. “As a result, retailers need to ensure their processes and critical technologies are agile enough to meet demand and continue to give consumers the kind of high quality shopping experiences that have become so crucial to omnichannel retail success.”

To download a full copy of the Fluent Commerce eBook, “Top Holiday Shopper Trends 2021: U.S. vs U.K.,” click here.