#XmasEcom | International e-commerce: Countdown to Christmas

Week 1 round-up: Why is Christmas the best time to sell online internationally?

Christmas is an ideal time to maximise your global sales opportunities through e-commerce channels – and Open to Export is here to help you get ready.

We started off this week with five reasons for why Christmas is the best time to sell online – especially when it comes to reaching global markets.

First of all, the Christmas shopping season is a fantastic retail opportunity due to its sheer length. The pre-Christmas sales start on the last Friday of November – ‘Black Friday’ – right after American Thanksgiving – go on well into January after retailers advertise further offers from Boxing Day onwards.

‘Cyber Monday’ is a global online event that takes place three days after Black Friday, offering a unique opportunity for businesses to drive their seasonal promotions through e-commerce.

Don’t underestimate how many people use the internet to research what presents to get their friends and family (and what they want themselves).

And people don’t just look for gift ideas on the internet – more and more shoppers buy their Christmas gifts online as the growth figures from 2012 to 2013 demonstrate.

So what does that mean for the 2014 online retail season? Sales are projected to rise.

…but this also means that if you’re looking to maximise your international online sales during the 2014 holiday season, you need to have the right tools and knowledge to properly seize this immense opportunity. So stay tuned for next week, when Andy Geldman from Web Retailer will give an overview of how to best set yourself up for going global online in the Christmas retail season.