Time is one more element in achieving establishes the success or failure of a store. Not only affect smaller establishments, giants like Walmart and Kohl’s have blamed bad weather in some of its last presentations of results. If they had not sold as much as expected – or its shareholders wanted – was because bad weather made consumers simply were not to their tents. Bad weather in sales period or the Christmas season makes curse traders, who fear lower inflows into their stores, although it does both those who are behind an ecommerce site. For them, bad weather is good news.
Ecommerce is the resource most resorted by consumers when they do not or cannot leave home. Happens with virtually all products in one of the last Liber, a person responsible for Barnes & Noble noted that on weekends and holidays were up sales of electronic books. Readers, who were stuck at home with their families needed to be done with something to while away the hours. Moreover, obviously they could not escape to buy out.
Being stuck with the family can be an excuse to buy online. Which is falling outside the flood may be another. It was what happened in the past winter season in both the UK and the US. In the first, they suffered one of the wettest winters in recent years, with flooding in some regions. In the second, they faced the colder weather that is remembered for a long time, with pictures of snowy cities that made the first of newspapers around the world and with such amazing things like the fact that polar bears had just seeking refuge cold.
Extreme temperatures and constant rains, consumers in both countries decided to stay home and once at home, buy online. Sales of ecommerce sites both countries rose during this season especially associated with products that were strongly marked by environmental conditions. Hot drinks, clothing (winter) and food were the sectors that saw as online purchases rose. In January 2014, for example, sales in retail stores fell in the United States, while e-commerce rose 8%. Moreover, in that month alone.
For the UK market this was not, in fact, the first season that bad weather had driven online sales. The previous winter had happened something similar and, as pointed eMarketer, e-commerce sales had grown (those not off line) aided by bad weather. And last winter in retail sales in electronic grew 17% and 20% travel, according to one estimate.
And although bad weather can be a challenge for firms that have to deliver packages (UPS “ruined” for some American customers Christmas last year when bad weather detracted deliveries), the opportunity is much stronger than the problems which may involve. For those responsible for shipments, there is always the prepared in advance for this (and major firms have already begun to hire extra employees for the winter season, as pointed as early as September in BusinessWeek ) and for ecommerce be especially demanding with their distributors (and refine as much as possible in logistics within the company itself).
The advantages for ecommerce
The bad weather only makes ecommerce companies in positions of advantage over traditional and off line. During the winter of 2013-2014 in the United States, the giants of traditional sales had to close some of its stores by bad weather. Online stores do not have to face these problems. They will always be there and the only risk to closing is that bad weather damaged somehow internet connection.
But also e – commerce companies are the only ones who can really channel all that time interest in direct sales. Anyone living in an area where it rains a lot or very cold, that can confirm this: one of the things that first look on the internet (and possibly several times a day) is the weather. Will it improve over time? Is it going to rain even more? Possibly then share their impressions of what the weather forecast says social networks. There you can find ecommerce companies, but the truth is that before already had their chance. No store off line for many umbrellas that hang in their windows can profit from both the weather and the interest in as ecommerce.
Bravissimo, a company that sells lingerie ecommerce did in the UK with very good results. The company used a specific software that controls time, WeatherFIT to create their Adwords campaigns. They used it in good weather, shooting swimwear sales by 600%. But the experiment can also be done in reverse. WeatherFIT is dedicated, in fact, just that. The tool, as explained in its corporate website, analyzes in real time the time to see how it affects the business and how it can act on the same to improve sales results.
Time is also beginning to have some presence in ads created for social networks. The Weather Company closed an agreement with Twitter to create ads that also report on time (for example, buy a powerful straightener because moisture will destroy your hairdo).
How to use the time to sell
What can companies do ecommerce once you know that time affects your sales and bad weather makes these higher? The information can be used to draw a more successful strategy. In addition to using tools such as targeted ads as long as ago as in the previous case, they can improve the positions on their websites all related to bad weather or may intensify its presence in social networks or network products generally during this period.
Consumers are at home, are connected to the Internet and are willing – really – to buy. Rainy days are not just an excuse for evenings sofa and blanket are also a perfect place to create campaigns themed emailing that will scenario (considering the circumstances) much better reception than those sent on sunny days.
In short, as the umbrella manufacturers someone you feel some joy and happiness now that rainy days and cold await us. Now that winter comes, ecommerce vendors are closer to making a killing.
