For most of us the holiday season is the beginning of Thanksgiving and lasts through the end of the year. For online retailers the holiday season starts at the end of October according to a study from Oneupweb titled, "2006 Holiday Online Retail Buying Trends".

"We set out to validate some of the speculation surrounding the 2006 holiday season online," says Oneupweb CEO, Lisa Wehr. "E-commerce companies have their own season, and it starts much earlier than many online retailers believe. This study demonstrates the importance of having campaigns tested and ready for holiday shoppers by Halloween."



The biggest day overall for online retailers was Wednesday, December 13. That day saw the most traffic and transactions of the season. December 4 was the second biggest day while December 11 came in third.



The study recommends that online retailers are ready for the holiday season by Halloween. Other recommendations include solid inventory strategies and to use milestones to predict peak volume.



The study also noted," Cyber Monday lived up to expectations, marking higher traffic and conversion rates, and extraordinary sales levels," the study revealed. "It did not mark in the start of the holiday buying season: Halloween is a more appropriate marker of the holiday season launch date, although some retailers may see increased activity or interest in holiday terms earlier in October."



"The online retail market is still evolving, by responding to changes in consumer preferences. While next holiday season may have a few surprises of its own, online retailers armed with the best practices outlined in this study will be better prepared to adapt to them", Wehr said.





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