LinkShare has revealed how online consumers shop for Mom on Mother’s Day. Based on ecommerce trends data-mined from its network in 2009, LinkShare found that last minute shoppers buy flowers, while those who plan weeks in advance are most likely to buy clothing. These findings complement the National Retail Federation’s 2010 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey*, which indicated that consumer confidence is up and that Mother’s Day spending will also be up this year. By providing an additional level of insight into specific shopping behavior trends, LinkShare is helping retailers within its network position themselves to take greatest advantage of the improving ecommerce landscape. Specifically, LinkShare reported that online browsing and peak purchasing activity progresses from clothing, to health and beauty products, to jewelry and, ultimately, to flowers as the big day approaches.
“We are seeing stronger signs of a resilient economy, with publishers and retailers in the LinkShare Network showing an uptick in click and conversion rates,” said Alex Czurylo, Director Analytics & Reporting, LinkShare Corporation. “In an effort to leverage the increased spending activity around one of the most popular shopping holidays, we want to not only offer our members the latest set of tools from our BentoBox, but also provide relevant information that enables our publishers and retailers to promote their brands in a timely manner and be prepared for peak activity.”
Over the past few weeks, LinkShare has provided guidance to members of its network to help them best prepare for the peak research/shopping timeframes �" and even to catch those last minute shoppers who may be scrambling to find that perfect gift for mom after procrastinating for too long. LinkShare’s 2009 study of consumer habits and purchase data revealed the following:
Department Stores
* Experienced increased shopping and browsing activity starting at 11 days out from Mother’s Day, with sharp peaks at nine and three days; order activity peaks at six days prior to Mother’s Day.
Women’s Clothing Stores
* Experienced increased shopping and browsing activity starting three weeks from Mother’s Day, with sharp peaks at 18 days and four days; same for order activity.
Health & Beauty Stores
* Experienced increased shopping and browsing activity starting two weeks from Mother’s Day, with sharp peaks at five days out; similar for order activity.
Jewelry Stores
* Experienced increased shopping and browsing activity starting at 11 days out from Mother’s Day, with sharp peaks at 11 and five days; order activity peaks at 10 and four days to Mother’s Day.
Flower Stores
* Experienced increased shopping and browsing activity starting at seven days out from Mother’s Day, with sharp peaks at two and three days; same for order activity.
*The 2010 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation. The survey was conducted from March 2-10, 2010, included 8,281 consumers, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.
