Trends Impacting Retailers for Holidays.

• Position: GONE SHOPPING

Social media and retail are two rapidly evolving and increasingly intertwined industries, each with a shared goal of trying to reach consumers. Sprout Social, a provider of cloud-based social media management software, has released insights on the most disruptive trends affecting retailers and brands this holiday season. Based on proprietary social media conversation data, the analysis provides guidance for brands looking to leverage social media to make the most of the peak retail season.

The in-store experience is back, but it is not what you expect. The pandemic further accelerated the shift to online shopping, and retailers must reimagine their in-store experience to cater to those shifts and drive in-person experiences. Pop-ups not only create immediacy and exclusivity for the in-person experience, they spur online conversation and extend the retailer's reach. Consumers show increased interest in these experiences, with more than 1,260,000 Twitter conversations related to pop-up stores since June 1, a 42% uptick in conversations compared to the first half of 2021.

As important as it is to connect with consumers in person, brands that focus on how physical and digital storefronts complement each other also will see increased returns. After following a brand on social media, 86% of consumers will visit their physical retail store and 90% will buy from it.

"While consumers become more comfortable with going back to stores, retailers are getting more creative in how they deliver relevant and personalized experiences to keep shoppers excited and coming back," says Jamie Gilpin, chief marketing officer at Sprout Social. "However, retailers won't be effective without a complementary online and social strategy. The bottom line is that social gets shoppers in the 'door,' whether in-person or online, and provides another channel for retailers to engage with audiences and convert them into customers."

Social commerce is the next frontier in e-commerce. Social media is becoming the epicenter of the entire customer experience, from initial discovery to final purchase. To keep up with the demand of holiday shoppers, brands will optimize their social platforms to be both their new storefront and cash register.

In fact, 93% of executives believe businesses are increasingly moving e-commerce strategies to social media and 79% expect to use social media to sell products and services over the next three...