CJ Affiliate 2014 Holiday Analysis

® 2014, CJ, Inc. All rights reserved.

PRESENTED BY

Date 10/21/14

WHAT AFFILIATE MARKETERS NEED TO KNOW TO MAXIMIZE THEIR 2014 HOLIDAY SALESUS Sales Trends and What They Mean for Holiday 2014

CJ Affiliate by Conversant

® 2014, CJ, Inc. All rights reserved.2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction4 Holiday Trends in the Affiliate Channel

Holiday 2013 Insights06 Holiday 2013 Season Summary07 Top Categories on Key Holiday Sales Days08 Affiliate Sales by Day 09 Publisher Sales on Key Holiday Sales Days

Strategies for Holiday 201411 Short Shopping Season…Again 12 Mark Your Calendars13 Opportunities Beyond Cyber Monday14 Strategies to Drive More Sales15 Mobile Strategies

Select Daily Sales Trends17 Clothing/Apparel18 Women’s19 Men’s20 Children’s21 Gifts22 Toys23 Accessories24 Jewelry25 Handbags26 Shoes27 Computer & Electronics28 Consumer Electronics29 Department Stores/Malls30 Malls31 Home & Garden32 Kitchen33 Cosmetics


Introduction


HOLIDAY TRENDS IN THE AFFILIATE CHANNEL

With its comprehensive view into millions of daily transactions, CJ Affiliate provides insights on the shopping trends that affect online marketers. In this analysis, CJ presents the most popular categories for shoppers last year and the publisher sites they used to guide their shopping decisions. In addition, this analysis presents smart strategies for affiliate marketers to deploy during Holiday 2014, based on last year’s learnings.

Sales from over 3,000 retailers and 65,000 publishers were analyzed to determine:

• What are the key shopping days for major retail categories?

• How can affiliate marketers make the most out of a short holiday season?


Holiday 2013 Insights


HOLIDAY 2013 SEASON SUMMARY

Last year was the shortest shopping season in recent memory with only 26 days between Black Friday and Christmas Day. Anxious US retailers wondered how six fewer shopping days would impact shopper behavior, particularly online shopping behavior.

Would shopper begin shopping earlier? CJ Affiliate sales analysis shows that the majority of shoppers tried to make this time up in December versus starting earlier, waiting again for Black Friday to kick off their shopping. Sales began to migrate to offline sources beginning approximately 7 days before Christmas. Cyber Monday was the clear sales winner during Holiday 2013 for most retailers. Thanksgiving Day continues to grow as a major sales day, experiencing 21% growth last year. (comScore)


TOP CATEGORIES ON KEY HOLIDAY SALES DAYS


AFFILIATE SALES BY DAY


PUBLISHER SALES ON KEY HOLIDAY SALES DAYS


Strategies for Holiday 2014


SHORT SHOPPING SEASON….AGAIN

Late Thanksgiving--and five fewer shopping days--translates into a rushed time for shoppers. Holiday 2013 suggests the majority of shoppers try to make this time up in December versus starting to shop earlier.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

NOVEMBER DECEMBER


MARK YOUR CALENDARS

The top 2014 holiday sales days as projected by CJ Affiliate

Holiday 2014Key Shopping DaysNovember 27 (Thanksgiving Day) November 28 (Black Friday)November 30 (Cyber Sunday)

December 1 (Cyber Monday) December 2 December 8 (Green Monday) December 15 December 26


OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND CYBER MONDAY

Green Monday

Ultimately, online sales will be lost to affiliate marketers unless advertisers and publishers are aggressive on key shopping days like Green Monday (December 8). Shipping deadlines for guaranteed Christmas arrival will likely make Green Monday a very popular – and safe – purchase day for shoppers.

Cyber Sunday

The day before Cyber Monday is emerging as a new shopping day for always-connected consumers in some categories, especially apparel and accessories shoppers. There are more potential incremental gains for advertisers on Cyber Sunday than any other day based on consumer engagement rates.

13

Mid-December

Holiday 2013 suggests a majority of shoppers try to make up for the short holiday season in mid-December versus starting to shop earlier (pre-Black Friday). Retailers should engage shoppers mid-month with helpful offers and gift ideas that motivate and help a shopper at this critical time.


STRATEGIES TO DRIVE MORE SALES

Build Excitement Early

While shoppers may not actively start shopping until Black Friday, advertisers and publishers can gain incremental holiday sales by positioning themselves in shoppers’ minds with holiday branding on their sites and in emails.

Site to Store

Advertisers still have the opportunity to integrate site to store if they haven’t yet done so. Also, publishers can promote Sears, Sears Outlet and Kmart site to store offers to tap the growing interest in web to store shopping.

14

Gift Guides & Gift Cards

Last-minute guides promoted during the week of December 16 could be well-received by shoppers needing help streamlining their shopping efforts. Promotions of gift cards during week of Dec 22 should pay off.


Last year’s mobile numbers during important holiday sales days demonstrate that m-commerce strategies are critical to engaging shoppers—26% of sales on Black Friday 2013 were transacted on either a smartphone or a tablet (Adobe Digital Index).

For publishers, this year it is again important to prepare for mobile shoppers with mobile-responsive sites. Advertisers will also need to consider the mobile experience for shoppers. Becoming a CJ mobile-certified advertiser ensures proper mobile tracking, providing mobile publishers with the confidence to promote their offers.

MOBILE STRATEGIES


Select Daily Sales Trends


CLOTHING/APPAREL

Black Friday was the strongest sales day for Clothing/Apparel advertisers in Holiday 2013. Opportunity exists to push more on Cyber Monday and Green Monday.


WOMEN’S

A very strong category during Thanksgiving Week last year. Target demographic engaged on Cyber Sunday leading into Cyber Monday sales.


MEN’S

Men’s category experienced strong mid-December sales (week of December 9). Note the sales spikes on Christmas Day and December 26.


CHILDREN’S

Children’s category experienced strong sales on Black Friday. Note the additional strong sales on Cyber Sunday, December 13 and Christmas Eve.


GIFTS

Cyber Monday was top sales day for Gifts category during Holiday 2013.December 8 – 18 are strongest period.


TOYS

Cyber Sunday and Cyber Monday were critical days for this category in Holiday 2013. December 16 appears to be last day online shoppers feel comfortable ordering.


ACCESSORIES

Cyber Monday was key date for this category during Holiday 2013. Mid-December is also a critical period for this category.


JEWELRY

Jewelry purchases were highest on Cyber Monday, but also robust on Cyber Sunday. Mid-December is the key period for this category, but opportunity exists in early December too.


HANDBAGS

Black Friday 2013 was a solid day for Handbags, but the real sales strength lies in December. Note the mid-December peaks of December 13 and December 24.


SHOES

Shoes more popular on Cyber Monday than Black Friday, possibly due to promotion strategies targeting that day. Category advertisers could likely make stronger plays on Thanksgiving Day and Green Monday.


COMPUTER & ELECTRONICS

Daily sales ramp up during Thanksgiving Week and peak for the season on Black Friday. Shoppers remained engaged with this category throughout December.


CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are equally important for this category. Note that Cyber Sunday and December 3 are strong days, as well.


Shoppers were engaged with this category beginning in mid-November. Cyber Monday was top sales day but also note the strength in December that tapers off as Christmas nears (then picks up again post-Christmas.)

DEPARTMENT STORES/MALLS


MALLS

Black Friday was key date for this category during Holiday 2013. Opportunity exists to tap more shoppers on Cyber Sunday and Cyber Monday.


HOME & GARDEN

Sales in the Home & Garden category peaked on Cyber Monday. Note the sales strength on Thanksgiving Day, November 30 and December 31.


KITCHEN

Sales in the Kitchen category peaked on Cyber Monday. Note the sales strength on Cyber Sunday and early – to mid- December overall.


COSMETICS

Cyber Monday was the clear leader in sales during Holiday 2013. Based on other categories, opportunities exists here to grow sales in early to mid-December.


CJ Affiliate by Conversant delivers unmatched insights to the world’s top brands. To learn more, visit us at www.cj.com.

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CJ Affiliate 2014 Holiday Analysis

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