The festive season is all about cheer, excitement, preparations, and shopping (of course!). With physical interaction becoming normal after two years of the pandemic, the digital space still has people’s attention. This has made the festive season one of the busiest but lucrative times for D2C brands to scale and grow.
The festive period in India starts in September with Navratri, Dussehra, Eid, and Diwali and goes on till December with Christmas and New Year. During this period, sales of consumer durables, electronic goods, textiles, jewellery, and automobiles witnessed an upsurge. Many businesses also offer massive discounts on their products to attract consumers.
However, for the D2C brands, the fight for a consumer base goes beyond physical stores and websites. They need to make efforts constantly to attract consumers. Here’s how direct-to-consumer brands can grow their business during the festive season.
Keeping Up with Consumer Demand
Many online sellers have adapted to the changing demand to keep their business afloat amidst the cut-throat competition. Consumer demand has evolved, and they are now looking for new and different products to meet the varied needs of buyers. Not just in terms of product varieties, their expectations have reached an all-time high when it comes to quick order delivery (same/next day), seamless shipping experience, smooth customer support, and multiple payment options.
As the festive season approaches, your orders, return orders, and customer queries will increase. Thus, you must also review your current shipping strategy and, if need be, create a new one.
Marketing & Advertising
The demand for online shopping has skyrocketed in recent years. And there is an increase in the number of online brands, which has only increased competition. Thus, there has always been a need for better advertising and marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition.
Using the right mix of marketing and advertising tools has always been the need of the hour, but it has become even more apparent in the past few years. Most businesses these days are using unique and catchy content to attract customers. Curating content that directly pins your customers’ pain points and offering your products as a solution can be one of the strategies you can adopt.
Engaging New & Existing Customers
Every D2C brand caters to a specific niche audience. Engaging and persuading new customers to buy products won’t suffice. You must motivate your existing customers as well. They have already experienced your products and the kind of service you offer, so they would be easy to target. However, if they previously had a not-so-great experience with your brand, you can motivate them with discounts and coupons.
Besides, look at the past purchasing record to comprehend trends and demand for your product during the festive demand. You can build your advertising strategy accordingly.
Prepare for Bulk Sales & Return Orders in Advance
You will obviously see a rise in orders during the festive season. You must prepare to handle bulk sales and return orders efficiently. The festive rush might leave you with no time to account for the return orders. However, not accounting for them in your books might leave you in a jeopardizing situation relating to inventory in hand.
Also, if you are not prepared for bulk orders, your orders might pile up, leading to missing orders or delayed delivery. This, in turn, might increase the return orders. So, you must prepare yourself and your infrastructure to enhance operational efficiency and deliver orders on time.
Brand Website
The eCommerce industry is witnessing a boom as more people shop online. As a D2C brand, it is essential that you also have a brand website, as it leaves a positive impression and increases brand value. A brand’s website can be a gateway to success for your brand.
An easy-to-navigate website with clear, simple, and descriptive product descriptions can help drive sales. Besides, you must also offer multiple payment options along with 24X7 customer support.
Discounts & Coupons
The festive season is indeed the time of generating revenue and growing business. However, many sellers also offer discounts and coupons to increase engagement, attract new customers, and expand their customer base to make the most of the festive season. Also, many customers wait for the festive seasons to purchase products at discounted rates. The promotional offers and discounts will increase business, customer acquisition, and satisfaction.
Summing Up
India is the land of festivals and festive times impact the country’s economy at large. Besides, consumers’ religious beliefs also play a crucial role in buying and selling goods during the festive season. Thus, the festive season is indeed the most anticipated period for D2C brands. It offers opportunities to increase sales, generate more revenue, and take the business to new heights.
Many online sellers are trusting 3PL platforms for their last-mile order fulfillment. The aforementioned steps may be a daunting task for you, which is why we recommend you take the help of third-party logistics providers like Shiprocket. With its experience and tech-enabled infrastructure, you can streamline your picking, packing, shipping, delivery, and return process. Also, by outsourcing your fulfillment process to a 3PL services provider, you can completely focus on meeting your customers’ expectations and giving them the best experience from your brand while they handle the rest for you!
