European’s Beat Blue Monday Malaise With Dose Of Online Retail Therapy
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Since 2005, the third Monday in January has been awarded the gloomy title of ‘Blue Monday’. This is due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold dark nights and the arrival of unpaid credit card bills, making it supposedly the most miserable day of the year.
Throw into the mix the spectre of COVID19 still looming large and continued restrictions in place across many European countries, Blue Monday 2022 has even more potential to be cheerless this year, with more than a quarter (26%) of Europeans expected to suffer from a Blue Monday dip to some extent.
However, research conducted by One Poll on behalf of Manhattan Associates, shows that retailers have the opportunity to turn January the 17th into a far more cheerful day with flash-sales & targeted offers, bringing a bit of joy back to consumers during one of the most turgid and dull months of the year.
Ecommerce still remains popular
When asked during the survey; ‘how do you prefer to shop?’ it appears that significant numbers of Europeans still prefer online shopping in January, as opposed to visiting traditional high streets and browsing, with the British and French topping the lists of ecommerce users at 45% and 43% respectively, in comparison to a 40% average across the rest of Europe.
Meanwhile, the population of the Netherlands plans to buy more items through mobile devices & in-app purchases than any other country in Europe, with 38% of respondents polled claiming smartphones and apps are their preferred purchasing methods — 6% points higher than the European average and 16% points higher than the lowest score of 22% in the UK.
The continuing, unstoppable march of ecommerce and the importance of mobile-first retail platforms highlights the significance and pivotal importance of omnichannel capabilities as part of the frictionless commerce retail/brand philosophy.
