Seasonal events serve as big opportunities for on-demand platforms and retailers to win new customers. But you need to get it right. Any hiccups in the order experience for newcomers, particularly on these high-pressure occasions, can mean they are more likely to shop elsewhere next time.
Over the past year, there has been significant growth in the demand for quick and efficient delivery for life’s everyday essentials, with the on-demand grocery sector exceeding £2bn mid-way through 2024 [The Grocer/Rodeo]. Demand for healthier items has soared, with on-demand platforms transforming the way users shop. More and more often too, shoppers are coming to those platforms for ‘last-minute’ gifts.
The days dreaded in some people’s calendar
Seasonal events like Valentine’s, Mother’s and Father’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas can be a day of disappointment for some if they are forgotten by a loved one or don’t go to plan. On-demand platforms are playing an increasingly important role for those who are less prepared and, unsurprisingly, specific categories and items receive more attention.
Valentine’s and Mother’s Day see flower searches on Uber Eats increase more than 1000%, with confectionery, lollies and snacks increasing more than 100% on Halloween, and Easter egg searches up more than 800% on Easter.
Growing demand presents opportunities as well as challenges for retailers, with this growth not showing signs of slowing down. We see this through users themselves aiming to avoid any potential ‘last minute sprint’ through moving towards placing scheduled orders, up more than 50% over the past year [Uber Eats]. So why should stores get ahead of the curve on this to ensure they capitalise on these critical moments?
Nailing the end-to-end experience for new users is critical
Retailer success depends not only on effective marketing, merchandising, and value propositions, but also on delivering a smooth and seamless user experience. During these high-stakes times, customers often feel a sense of urgency, making them particularly sensitive to any issues in the order process. Incomplete orders or missing items can have a significant impact on customer retention. For example, if these issues arise during seasonal events, first-time user retention rates can drop by over 50% on Uber Eats in the following three to six weeks compared to similar situations occurring during non-seasonal periods. While repeat users are less sensitive to these problems, they are still 25% less likely to come back compared to the platform if the same issues occur during non-seasonal events.
With retailers vying for new customers during these critical periods, ensuring a seamless experience is essential, particularly because the cost and effort required to win customers back is high.
How can on-demand platforms help?
On-demand platforms are uniquely positioned to analyse user trends and purchasing behaviour at scale, thanks to their extensive access to data across multiple brands and regions. Platforms like Uber Eats can assist retailers to curate what a successful campaign should look like to better engage customers through offering insights into historical customer search patterns and identifying products that faced fulfilment challenges.
On-demand platforms can also optimise the in-app experience to highlight relevant seasonal products or bundles, create cross-channel partnerships that deliver unique experiences to attract customers, and collaborate with advertising partners to feature the right seasonal products on in-app ads.
By collaborating with on-demand platforms like this, retailers can better organise their catalogues and staff resources in preparation for peak seasonal events to anticipate demand more precisely. Ultimately, by collaborating closely with on-demand platforms like Uber Eats, retailers can fully capitalise on these key customer moments to make the most of the most special times of the year.
To find out more about how Uber Eats can help retailers streamline their seasonal demand, visit https://www.ubereats.com/gb.
