Americans Will Spend More This Holiday Season; Are You Ready?

The critical holiday shopping season is here. Retailers expecting a heavy influx of online purchases are responding to industry reports and surveys that are predicting an increase in sales.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), sales in November and December will climb 3.6% to $655.8 billion. That’s slightly greater than the 10-year increase of 2.5% and above the 3.4% growth seen since financial recovery began in 2009. The forecast, which excludes auto, gas and restaurant sales, is also higher than the 3% increase seen last year. The growth in holiday sales can be attributed to income gains and increased consumer confidence.

As for online purchases, NRF predicts non-store sales to rise 7-10% to as high as $117 billion. Meanwhile, eMarketer predicts ecommerce to make up more than 10% of total holiday sales.

In addition, a recent survey has solidified the prediction that online sales will increase. Seventy-three percent of survey respondents said they will shop online, with more than one in three planning to shop on a mobile device. About 22% said they don’t plan to shop in stores at all during the holiday season. Millennials and parents will be the key drivers of online sales, the survey found.

With such a large number of online sales anticipated for the holidays, e-tailers that have been paying attention have equipped their businesses to handle the inflow of product sales and distributions. One method they have adopted is Packsize^® On Demand Packaging^®, which allows shipping departments to create their own sustainable packaging in-house.

With On Demand Packaging^® companies receive their very own box making machine that lets them create the right-sized box every time—in real-time. This minimizes the size of their parcels, eliminates the need for filler materials, and limits the dimensional weight charges (DIM), all while increasing sustainability.  Using the right-size box for the products you need to shop also frees up valuable warehouse space, reduces box management, and lets you ship more for less. Additionally, the right-size box helps keep items from shifting during transport to reduce the risk of product damages, product returns and unsatisfied customers.

It is never too late to prepare for the next shopping season. Learn more about how Packsize can help your business tackle the packaging issues surrounding the busy shopping season. Contact us today to get your own box making machine: 1-801-944-4814 or [email protected].