As unbelievable as it may sound, another year is just about gone. All that stands between consumers and 2016 are the holidays.
Trends are predicting online sales growth. Mobile devices (tablets/smartphones) will enhance overall consumption and is the preferred platform for purchases of goods and services for many consumers. Businesses that were ahead of the curve began deploying holiday messages as early as September. Now with the arrival of November, expect a proliferation of pre-Black Friday advertisements. Small business owners should consider the advantage of seeding messages during the workday, as many consumers shop while at work.
Below are a few more thoughts about this upcoming holiday shopping cycle.
Expect modest sales this Black Friday, as consumer confidence is not as optimistic as marketers would like. Confidence levels are still moderately favorable for the immediate short-term. Unemployment is steady at 5.1 percent according to US Bureau of Labor Statics. However, this number may be deceiving depending upon specific demographic of interest:
Teenagers (16.3 percent), Whites (4.4 percent), Blacks (9.2 percent), Asians (3.6 percent) and Hispanics (6.4 percent) showed little or no change during September 2015.
