With October Behind Us, Amazon Wastes No Time Kicking Off the Holiday Shopping Season

Some of your kids (or, heck, maybe even you) are still trying to scrub off that Halloween makeup from all of the trick or treating that went on, but if you haven’t already started sending out the latest info on your holiday deals and curated gift guides, you’re already losing ground to Amazon. In a statement published promptly at 12 a.m. Seattle-time on Tuesday, the e-commerce giant announced the launch of its Black Friday Deals Store and more than a dozen different curated gift guides. Through its Black Friday Deals Store, Amazon began rolling out some tens of thousands of holiday deals with new sales and promotions launching “as often as every five minutes” on everything from HDTVs to kitchen appliances and toys. The store will remain open through Dec. 22, and will include dozens of daily “compelling Deals of the Day” that will involve big-ticket items. “Customers love discovering the best deals on the most sought-after products, and our Black Friday Deals Store and curated Holiday Gift Guides offer them a place to do just that – plus enjoy the most convenient shopping experience with tons of super-fast shipping options,” Doug Herrington, SVP of North American Retail at Amazon, said in the statement. “This holiday season, we’re offering more deals than ever before and – for the first time ever – giving Prime members an opportunity to use Alexa voice shopping for purchasing their holiday gifts hands-free. They can make purchases simply by asking Alexa-enabled devices, like the new Echo Dot, while relaxing at home with family and friends.” The curated gift guides harken to those big and beautiful F.A.O. Schwarz books that used to come in the mail around this time of the year and get all of the neighborhood kids talking about their holiday wish lists. The obvious difference being that Amazon’s guides will be digital only. The most likely-to be scoured by kids and self-shoppers alike: the Electronics Gift Guide, the Home Gift Guide, and (an Etsy-esque competitor) the Handmade at Amazon Holiday Gift Guide. Of course, the one that resonates with us, and you, has to be the Electronics Gift Guide (pictured above). Looking through the list of products, retailers can get a sense of what products Amazon expects to deliver the best returns this year. What’s more, retailers can get a look at what they’re up against as far as pricing is concerned. A quick tour through the Electronics Gift Guide shows that the emerging tech categories are expected to be front and center this year. In particular, Amazon places an emphasis on things like smart home tech, wearables, drones, and robotics. Mixed in, though, are some of the staples of the holidays—things like gaming, TVs, headphones, cameras, and more. The standout category on that gift guide though? The little box in the top left corner of the screen: those electronics gift ideas that come in under $100. During the holiday shopping season, most consumers are looking for the “big deal.” They’re not looking to spend a fortune on themselves or whoever they’re gifting for, and that under-$100-price-point serves as a clickbaity headline. And listed in the Under $100 portion of the guide is everything from smartphones, cases, and bluetooth speakers, to toothbrushes, razors, and portable hard drives. Calling out your major deals is great, but the strategy here by Amazon—that every retailer can learn from—is their ability to hit the nail on the head with the core online shopper. Categorize those lower price point items into an under $XX amount, and let your e-tail customers effectively impulse buy right from your website. The biggest takeaway from all of this Amazon news for retailers? Now is the time to start running those holiday deals of yours. If you’re just planning for Black Friday now, you’re well behind the eight ball. It’s 2016, and if Amazon hasn’t made it clear enough for us all these past three years or so, let it be said here and now. The holidays no longer officially start on Black Friday. They start the second all of the pumpkins are down and candy has been handed out. So, finish that Kit-Kat you’re chowing down on, and get to popping. The holidays are here.

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With October Behind Us, Amazon Wastes No Time Kicking Off the Holiday Shopping Season

Rob Stott

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Rob Stott