Throughout the lockdown changes, backtracks and economic uncertainty of last year, shoppers' keenness for festive spending remained. Online sales rose 56% compared to Christmas 2019* as consumers bought their gifts and decorations earlier than ever before.** Predictably, though, the high street struggled. Bricks and mortar retailers suffered an average fall in sales of 12.7% over the six weeks of Christmas.* 

But the Covid-19 situation is improving. At the time of writing, around 2 in 3 adults have been fully vaccinated.^† So, with stores open in the run up to Christmas, will shoppers choose bricks or clicks? And what trends should retailers be looking out for?

As one of our Customer Insight Managers, Katherine Newton is privy to some of our largest customers' early Christmas expectations. "We definitely need to keep close to our customers this peak," She tells us. "We expect online sales to be as high as they were last year, if not higher." 

DHL are already preparing for Christmas 2021, with a new London site and more collection drivers. So how should you be preparing for the Christmas 2021 trends?

In 2020, mobile commerce grew by 30%.^¶¶ Covid-19 was a huge catalyst for this. Reports state that by the end of 2021, global mobile commerce sales will hit $3.65 trillionº and 73% of consumers in the UK are now omnichannel mobile shoppers.º 

Mobile commerce is all about speed and ease. Providing next day delivery, stress-free returns, and comprehensive tracking are all important ways retailers can prepare for heightened shopper demand. 

Sales in small food stores rose nearly 10% in December 2020 alone.ºº What began as travel anxiety, soon developed into an overwhelming national desire to buy locally. Potters Cookshop, one of our clients, told us, they received "fantastic support from (their) customers," in part because of their local following. 

Potters Cookshop also made the most of their Click and Collect service during the pandemic. Despite the propulsion of e-commerce, this is still an area that their owner Clive Potter says will remain important this Christmas - "We expect to do well on Click and Collect." 

Click and Collect sales, per latest estimates, will sustain their double-digit growth rates right through to 2024.ª These sorts of omnichannel sales drive traffic online and footfall into stores. Clive believes that it's this duality that provides "a great service to customers."

Upping the amount of locations customers can click & collect their orders from, as well as providing as much delivery and collection choice as possible will continue to be a great way to capitalise on sales.

The short answer to 'bricks or clicks?' is, actually - bricks and clicks. It's highly likely that consumers will want the best of both worlds; the convenience of online ordering and the experiential benefits of in-store. 

If you're an online retailer wanting to offer a convenient click & collect option this Christmas, DHL ServicePoints are located all around the country, open longer hours, and allow shoppers to pick up orders at their convenience. 

There are also DHL's 'Change It' options; giving shoppers the complete flexibility that they'll be demanding from their mobile and internet shopping this festive period. 

Our new SHIP solution is our most exciting new benefit. As a universal shipping platform, it provides complete visibility of your domestic and international shipments via an easy to use and customisable dashboard. You can even create 'monitor lists' for those all important Christmas items.

*www.retailresearch.org/shopping-for-christmas.html
**www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/10/28/christmas-shoppers-are-starting-early-amid-pandemic-survey/
^†ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations?country=GBR
^††www.statista.com/statistics/1191981/christmas-gifts-sustainability-uk
^{^}'Meet the 2020 consumers driving change', Research Insights 2020, by Karl Haller, Jim Lee and Jane Cheung
^{^^}fashionunited.uk/business/garnier-increases-commitment-to-sustainability-with-enhanced-labelling
^§www.dhl.com/discover/business/market-intelligence/attract-Silver-Surfers-to-spend-on-your-business 
^¶NPD Group
^¶¶internet retailing.net/mobile-theme/2020-sees-mcommerce-in-uk-grow-by-30-with-social-commerce-set-to-drive-growth-in-2021 
ºthecircularboard.com/mobile-commerce-statistics
ººwww.retailresearch.org/shopping-for-christmas.html 
ªhttps://www.emarketer.com/content/click-collect-already-popular-option-finds-new-gear