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Amazon Merchants had a fabulous year in 2015, with Amazon’s gross U.S. sales estimated to increase from $66 billion in 2014 to $88 billion in 2015 (1). And a good chunk of that $80+ billion comes through in Q4 as consumers gear up for the holidays.
Fortunately, the party doesn’t stop in December. January is a significant month for most Amazon Sellers, mostly due to a single consumer retail trend: gift cards. Gift Cards are becoming a more popular gift every year, with nearly half of consumers receiving a gift card on Christmas (2).
And of all the gift cards available, one from “The Everything Store” captures the most flexibility and usefulness for recipients. Retail industry pundits put annual gift card spending at over $100 Billion each year, much of that over the year-end Holidays. And what does one do during the post-Holidays lull, to dull the pain of returning to work and “real life”? Spend those gift cards and get a bit of retail therapy.
Even better (for retailers), 71% of customers will spend more than the value of their card, and 31% say they are more likely to buy a full-price item than an item on sale (3).
If your brand is not yet on Amazon, you haven’t yet missed the boat. We also see peaks throughout the year during special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mothers and Fathers Day, Chinese New Year, back to school, and other seasonal events.
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1 - Macquarie Research
2 - Consumer Survey
3 - First Data
