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December Online Sales & Remarketing Questions Answered

December Online Sales & Remarketing Questions Answered


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SaleCycle identifies customer behaviour insights for the festive period and the best days for ecommerce sales. December has the second highest online sales volume behind November. Both November and December are way ahead of the rest of the year. 

Shopping site traffic during seasonal periods increases significantly, but what more does that tell us? We did an analysis of last year’s festive sales and gathered some intelligence that can be leveraged to improve engagement and increase online sales this Christmas.


What Is The Cart Abandonment Rate In December?  

Christmas means customers are much more aware of shipping times, especially as the 25th draws closer. The average cart abandonment rate is 82.24% and then drops to 79% In December.

The window of opportunity in the consideration phase of the buyer’s journey is shorter. Customers have less time to compare prices and read up on products.  


Are Online Sales Higher In December?

Similar to point one, as Christmas panic sets in, customers are more time sensitive. When they return to their cart they are more likely to complete their purchase to avoid potential disappointment for them and their loved ones. 

December is responsible for 11% of online sales with a high volume. November and Black Friday boasts the highest amount of online sales counting for 12%. The average amount of sales for the 10 months prior is 7%, which shows the scale and opportunity of the last 2 months.    


Is December A Good Month for Online Sales In Fashion?

Online sales in the fashion industry peak in November traditionally. But fashion online shoppers purchase in a range of months. For example, we know Black Friday has a big impact on the fashion sector but we also saw May, July, November and December all show online sales strength. 

November saw the highest conversion rate at 10.84% with December coming in at 9.26% and May at 9.92%. 


Is December A Good Month for Online Sales In Retail?

Online sales in the retail sector saw two main peaks. The first was April, which was a month that saw well over 100 countries launch lockdown restrictions due to the pandemic.

The second was in November for Black Friday, however online sales continued into December to reach the second highest conversion rate of the year.


Is December A Good Month for Online Sales In Travel?

It is well documented that the travel sector has struggled. Traditionally the travel industry enjoys a January boost and then another around the start of summer. 

However, we do see an increase in online sales within the travel industry in December too. Why? Because people are booking travel both domestically and internationally to visit family for the festive season. We can also assume people like the winter sun. 

Booking abandonment also decreases during the festive period, perhaps due to time restrictions and also a stronger intent to get home for the holidays.


Why Are Email Open Rates Higher In December & January?

Ecommerce email open rates trended higher than previous months in December and continued to increase into the New Year before deflating in February.  

The sense of urgency to buy Christmas gifts or benefit from January sales heavily attributes to the spike. As we move to February, the festive ‘overspend’ has deteriorated, and shoppers are ‘sobering’ up; a touch less inclined to purchase.


Why Do Email Open Rates Increase With Average Order Value?

Carts with an order value of less than $60 have an open rate around 9% below the average, but the number increases for carts with an order value of $200 or more by 4.3%.

Typically the higher the order value the longer the browsing period and therefore the more committed the consumer is likely to be to the purchase (or brand). These customers are more likely to be subconsciously invested into the shopping process and are therefore that much more likely to reconnect with the brand.


Are Customers More Likely To Convert Quicker From Emails In December?

In December, the duration from the remarketing email being sent and the shopping cart being recovered is significantly less than other months.

Similar to point one, as Christmas panic sets in, customers are more time sensitive. When they return to their cart they are  more likely to complete their purchase to avoid potential disappointment for them and their loved ones.


Why Does Cart Abandonment Rate Increase With Average Order Value?

Shopping carts with a value over $200 have an abandonment rate of 11% above average.

This gives retailers an opportunity. By taking the time to analyze their cart’s order value, retailers can consider displaying relevant dynamic content. An example for this could be creating a sense of urgency and promoting extensions of service such as free shipping or returns to customers falling into the higher order value groups.




Reviewed by Brad Ward
Written by Graham Charlton
— Updated on 15/12/2021

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