Holiday Shopper #3: Put Your Hands Up for The Procrastinator

He meant to get his shopping done early this year. He really, really did. He even promised his mum. But life got a bit hectic, so now he's surfing around the web, scrolling through a million websites... on December 23. Next year, he'll get a head start on his shopping. He SWEARS.

To all the lazy bees out there, give it up for your buddy - the PROCRASTINATOR.

Joke aside, the reasons behind putting off holiday shopping until the very last second could be many. But one thing is certain - procrastinators represent a huge portion of the shopping pie (more than 50%) and can be a source of a lot of last-minute business.

Last-minute shoppers are mostly young people, who rely heavily on online shopping, and are driven by convenience and express service. One in 5 will be doing their shopping on “Panic Saturday”, or the Saturday before Christmas.

 

How to Get Them? 

During these final hours, it all comes down to speed and availability.

When reaching out to this group, retailers should emphasize convenience and be clear about what you can offer your last-minute shoppers. Use words like “quick”, “easy”, “speedy”, “save time and energy”, “we’ve got you covered” etc.

Appeal to them by highlighting extended store hours right until the big day, as some of these late-comers wait until the very last second to check everything off their wishlist (that they made the night before).

To shine like the star on the Christmas tree, make sure you prepare well in advance and have plenty of inventory in stock for the last couple of weeks before the holidays, especially if you have items that may be on younger shoppers’ lists. FOMO won’t be your best bet with procrastinators, as they are already under stress - they don’t need somebody else nagging them about being late and reminding them of all the awesome deals they might miss. 

Rather, give them the confidence that they can rely on you for their last-minute shopping. Be their hero by offering express shipping or in-store pick-up for B&M stores. Quick delivery is a crucial determining factor. 


Example: 
{SiteName}: Forgot the Christmas presents, {FirstName}?  We got you covered. Order now and pick your gifts at our store, all wrapped and ready-to-go. {SiteUrl} Text STOP to opt out. 

One other thing your shouldn’t forget: as it often happens in life, things go south right when you are on a tight schedule. A way to assure your customers that everything will be alright with their order is to enable the Order Created automation which will notify them as soon as their order was processed. Such transactional messages are the equivalent of getting a receipt after purchasing from a B&M store and it gives customers comfort.

Equally important to last-minute shoppers is being able to reach you if they are experiencing some issues, or simply have a question they can't answer. So don’t skip on enabling your SMSBump Chat.


Example: 
{SiteName}: Santa is on his way with your gifts, {FirstName}. Your tracking number is {TrackingNumber}. Track your shipment here: {TrackingUrl}. Questions? Reply to this text. Text STOP to opt out. 


Aaaand last, but surely not any less valuable, is giving your dawdlers helpful suggestions. Gift guides, lists of what is popular that particular year, and recommendations for different types of recipients are extremely useful for procrastinators.  Design a special “last-minute giftpage on your website so their choice is quick and easy. 

 

Saving the Best for Last - Just Like (true) Procrastinators 

Holiday shopping is stressful by itself, regardless of whether shoppers have enough or little time. Give them options to buy in their own nick of time and you’ll emerge a holiday hero!

We want to be your holiday hero, though. That’s why we put together a couple of Christmas-themed templates to help you give a kick-start to your campaigns! 

 

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