By Ruth Richter • November 14, 2018
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so the song says; but, if you’re a retailer, it’s also the busiest. The 2018 holiday shopping season kicks off on Black Friday, continues with Cyber Monday, and powers on strong right up until Christmas Eve, when last-minute shoppers flock to stores looking for that perfect gift.
Every year, new shopping trends emerge, and smart retailers will take note and make plans. We’re not just talking the Tickle Me Elmo of 2018. These are trends around how shoppers will buy and what they are looking for. Some of the top trend predictions for 2018 include a jump in purchases made from a smartphone, influence from artificial intelligence (AI) product recommendations, social network influencers, and the volume of purchases made during Cyber Week (Tuesday before Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday).
See how some of ROI Consulting’s customers are preparing for their busy holiday seasons.
Holiday Bright Lights
Clark Griswold would love having Holiday Bright Lights. In fact, they secured the exclusive license for Christmas Vacation and boast “Clark Griswold Approved Lights.” HBL supplies commercial grade holiday lighting products to retailers, garden centers, wholesale distributors, and independent holiday lighting installers and decorators. With shipping available from a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse, HBL needs to make sure all its orders are integrated from their Volusion ecommerce site to ERP for accurate information and order fulfillment. IN-SYNCH by ROI Consulting is that bright solution, keeping their information flowing into their Sage 100 program and ensuring that not a single point in the order process burns out.
Autograph Foliages
Artificial plants have come a long way over the past few decades. Now stunningly realistic, artificial greenery is used in decorations and arrangements ranging from small bunches to complete ceiling covers, and even extensive holiday decorating. Autograph Foliages has been providing products and decorating services for artificial plants for more than 40 years. When they needed an integration solution to pull BigCommerce® data into their Sage 100 system, they turned to ROI Consulting and couldn’t be happier with the results. Says Katie Jorgenson, Director of Marketing/Sales, ROI is an “Excellent company. I would highly recommend using them!” Maybe it’s time to see what her evergreen praise is about.
Dewey’s Bakery
What are the holidays without your favorite traditional dessert? For more than 85 years, Dewey’s Bakery has been baking those favorites such as Moravian Sugar Cake, Grandpa Coffee Cake, and Moravian Lovefeast Buns. Since cake is better with ice cream, Dewey’s added Blue Ridge Ice Creams and now boasts more than 300 flavors of ice cream, sorbet, and gelato. Dewey’s sells its delectable treats through a Clearnine website, powered by IN-SYNCH, for instant information integration with their Sage 100 system. From a smooth-as-French-silk order process to the automated purchase and shipping information, Dewey’s integrated systems are sweet as pie.
Get Your Holiday Retail IN-SYNCH
No matter what your holiday traditions, whether you stay home or join the Black Friday rush, whether you shop online or are preparing your ecommerce site for its first Christmas rush, make sure you have the right integration solutions to make sure gifts and decorations are fulfilled and delivered perfectly on time. IN-SYNCH can help you ensure your company stays on the Nice list. Tell us what you want this holiday season by dropping us a line or calling 402-934-2223 ext. 1.
