The big challenges who are faced with e-commerce at the end of the year has led to packlinka leading company in online logistics solutions, and Retail Economicsan economic research consultancy, to present the results of its latest report “Buying trends in high season”on the occasion of the 6th Edition of Packlink eCommerce Day. The report analyzes the performance of sales in the current economic context, yielding the results of more than 8,000 survey respondents between users and retailers from 8 different countries (including Spain, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom). According to this latest study, Spanish users will reduce their Christmas purchases by 14% this year compared to last year. A figure that translates into approximately 900 million euros less among consumers in our country, compared to last 2021. In this sense, at a European level, Spain will be one of the countries that will reduce its spending the most, below the United Kingdom (22%) and above Italy (12.3%), France (11.5%) and Germany (9.4%).
Likewise, companies and consumers will be affected by rising costs. Nine out of ten (91.9%) companies expect to be affected by the increase in costs in the high season, while three out of five (58.0%) consumers expect to cut spending on non-food products due to the increase in the cost of living “It is logical that one of the first measures taken by Spanish and European consumers is to bet on savings to alleviate the rise in prices. However, the sector remains optimistic in terms of sales volume and activity, although citizens will bet on cheaper products”points out Noelia Lázaro, Packlink Marketing Director.
Inflation, a predominant factor in consumer spending
24% of Spaniards indicate the Inflation as the main reason to contain Christmas spending. Above economic uncertainty (21.55%), insufficient savings (16.49%), lack of available credit (9.72%), loss of benefits (9.53%) and the rise in interest rates (6.58%). However, Spain is not the European country where the price boom is most worrying. According to the study, the Germans are those who consider this problem the most important (37.50%), above the United Kingdom (32.51%), France (32.67%) and Italy (25.06%). The product categories that are most at risk of cuts at the European level are: clothing (26%), above electronics (22.3%), toys (20.9%) and household items (19%). .8%). For their part, health and beauty products (17.4%) and DIY and gardening (16.1%) stand out as the categories in which the least cuts will be made. In Spain, fashion also remains the category that will suffer the most cuts (26.7%), above toys (20.4%), DIY and gardening (19.6%), health and beauty products (18%), household products (16.8%) and, finally, electronics (16.8%). These changes will lead to changes in consumption habits and between offline and online channels in the coming months.
The Spanish consumers are the ones who most anticipate purchases by offline channel they plan to do, by 37.7%. However, the United Kingdom and Italy are the ones with the highest forecast of purchases in online channels, both with 26% of the intentions. “Inflation is causing the brake on consumption in users and benefits in providers. A situation against which small and medium-sized companies are already acting through promotions and a commitment to optimizing their available resources and services”stands out Noelia Lázaro, Packlink Marketing Director.
The impact of the macroeconomic situation on retail professionals
The report also includes, among the more than 8,000 respondents, nearly 800 statements from retail professionals. In Spain, the 226 retailers interviewed point out that there are already many companies that have decided to take measures to alleviate expenses. Some of these measures, globally, range from the increase in shipping costs (34.7%), change in delivery times (26.2%), to the increase in promotions (18.1%), the elimination of free returns (10.1%) or the growth of the workforce (3.3%). In addition to knowing how to adapt to the situation in the shortest possible time and trying to compensate losses with profits, retailers must also take into account the preferences that consumers value when buying in any business and that they have to keep in mind on their sheet Route. the rspeed of delivery or cost of delivery are two of the factors that mark the needs of users. On the other hand, the user also takes into account the environmental impact of their orders, looking for sustainable options or an adequate return policy.