This document summarizes the results of a survey of Belgian e-commerce organizations about holiday shopping trends in 2014. E-commerce companies expect sales during the festive season to increase to 12.54% of annual turnover compared to 10.83% last year. They anticipate realizing more sales during Black Friday/Cyber Monday and the Christmas period compared to 2013. Most companies plan promotion campaigns and special offers for the festive season, with some increasing initiatives like discounts and custom product ranges compared to last year. Top selling products are expected to be fashion, books/media, decoration, and food.

1. Xmas Trends 2014
November 26, 2014

2. Content
Introduction
Turnover
Initiatives
Top products
2

3. 3
» Research objectives
Introduction
Study of trends in e-commerce during the holiday season in
Belgium: expectations, sales, product categories, etc...
» Method
• Online quantitative survey
• Respondents from the BeCommerce database
• 721 valid email addresses
• Target group: Belgian e-commerce organizations
• Together they represent about 80% of the Belgian e-commerce
market

4. Content
Introduction
Turnover
Initiatives
Top products
4

5. Turnover
Expectations
5
What percentage of your total annual turnover do you
expect to achieve during the upcoming festive season?
Sales during the festive season
Last Year This Year
10,83% 12,54%
€ 1.91 billion € 2.2 billion*
€ 206 million € 276 million
Note: * estimate

6. Turnover
Periods
6
What percentage of your festive sales revenue do you
etimate to realize during Cyber Monday, Santaclaus and
the Christmas period 2014?
What percentage of festive sales revenue have you realized
during Cyber Monday, St-Nicholas and the Christmas period
2013?
Sales during the festive season
Last Year This Year
Black Friday - Cyber Monday (28 nov - 1
dec)
1,62% 5,37%
Santaclaus period (2 – 6 dec)
3,60% 4,13%
Christmas period (7 – 31 dec)
27,25% 31,88%

7. Content
Introduction
Turnover
Initiatives
Top products
7

8. Initiatives
Festive Sales Period
8
Which special initiatives will you take as a result of the
upcoming festive sales period?
75
%
25
%
Initiatives No initiatives
 Custom range
 Promotion campaigns
 Radio & TV spots
 Mailings
 Leaflets
 Social media
 Bannering
 Newsletters
 Reductions
 Google AdWords
 Adjustments website
 Gifts with purchase

9. 9
Are you planning the following initiatives more, less or
equal during the upcoming festive season compared
to last year?
44% 39%
0%
14%
0% 0%
25%
38%
25% 25%
38%
25%
Special
promotions
Google
Adwords
Custom
range
Promotion
campaigns
(radio,
newsletter,
social media,
...)
Discounts Gift with
orders
More The same
Initiatives
Planning

10. Initiatives
Cyber Monday
10
Which specific steps will you take in response to Cyber
Monday?
50
%
50
%
Initiatives No initiatives
 Exceptional promotions
 Reductions
 Free shipping
 Free gifts with purchase

11. 26%
24%
45%
38%
55%
50%
63%
88%
It's always opened
It's easy
Prevents shopping stress
Wider range
It does not take much time
To avoid the crowds
Saving money (eg transport, ...)
You can discreetly order something as a surprise
Initiatives
Advantages
11
What are, regarding your opinion, the main advantages for
customers to buy Christmas gifts online?

12. Content
Introduction
Turnover
Initiatives
Top products
12

13. 13
Which products do you expect to sell the most during
the next festive sales periode?
15.00%
12.50%
10.00%
25.00%
20.00%
30.00%
62.50%
Fashion & Accessories
Health & Beauty
Kitchen accessories
Multimedia & Electronics
Food & Drinks
Books, Magazines, CD's, DVD's,
BR's ...
Decoration
Top Products
Top products

14. Patricia Ceysens
President of the Board of Directors
patricia.ceysens@becommerce.be
twitter.com/ceysens
www.becommerce.be
Contact
Carine Moitier
Director BeCommerce
Carine.moitier@becommerce.be
twitter.com/cmoitier
www.becommerce.be