How retailers prepare for and handle the holiday shopping season is often a sign of what is to come in the industry. Retailers bring in huge revenues during the final quarter of the year as consumers rush out to purchase gifts for one another. As a result, the months spent preparing for the holiday shopping period are often indicative of the most important developments in the retail sector. This year is no exception. The National Retail Federation predicted that retail sales in November and December will total between $682 billion and $655.8 billion this year. These sales projections represent a year-over-year increase of between 3.6 percent and 4 percent. With significant growth coming in this year’s holiday season, retailers are working hard to prepare for the high volume of sales and heated competition on its way. Let’s explore the themes coming out of the build-up to this year’s holidays and look at what they mean for the overarching evolution of the retail sector. Learn more about digital transformation in retail > http://ap.pn/2C2M2or

1. Digital Transformation in Retail
How Brands are Preparing for the Holidays

2. Holiday Season in Retail
The National Retail Federation
predicted that retail sales in November
and December will total between
1
$682 B and $655.8 B this year .
These sales projections
represent a year-over-year
increase of between 3.6% and 4%.
$655.8 B – $682 B
1. https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-
holiday-sales-increase-between-36-and-4-percent

3. Getting Ready for High Volume of Sales
and Heated Competition
During the holiday season brands focus on:
Personalization Timely CommunicationStrategic Messaging
Retailers hoping to stay on top of these
trends increasingly need to transform
their operations around digital
technologies and the capabilities those
solutions offer.

4. Capturing Customer Data
Tracking purchases and interactions
across all channels creates
opportunities crucial for analysis,
strategic planning and creating a more
cohesive customer experience.

5. Personalized Experience
Retailers can use internal apps
that use location data or customer
records to inform employees when
customers are engaging with the
brand in stores.
Consumers are increasingly
responding better to receiving
personalized interactions.

6. A Timely Nudge from Retailers
is Still Effective
In our digital world, many consumers
research products online before
they even think about going to a store.
With customers having so much
knowledge about products, it seems
like they don’t need brands to reach out.

7. However, 9 out of 10 holiday shoppers
have had some kind of new information
convince them to make a purchase that
they were previously unsure about according
to the National Retail Federation.
Moving data easily between employees
and to end—user apps and services is critical.
Retailers work to engage customers
and help them make final purchasing decisions.

8. Brands are Getting Strategic
About Communications
Many consumers are beginning
to tune out mass communications
because they are irrelevant
to their personal preferences
according to AllianceData.
Personalized promotions
are emerging as a popular way
of getting a customer’s attention.

9. Making a Personal Connection
What is needed?
A place to identify and store
consumer preferences intelligently
is needed in order for brands
to get strategic communications
out efficiently.

10. The Right Technology Can Help
Organizations Get Ahead
A digital transformation platform
offers systems businesses need
to work faster and smarter,
letting brands establish
strong customer experiences.

11. TM
Appian, The Digital Transformation Platform
Our cloud application development
platform can serve as a process
management, data coordination,
and an app creation hub.
Our low-code tools let users
quickly roll out apps to meet
specific demands—such as a niche
holiday shopping requirement.

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