eBay U.K. is predicting a big boost in sales on the site on Dec. 4, a day it's calling "Super Sunday."
Based on sales data from last year's holiday season, and forecasts from e-commerce market watchers, eBay U.K. expects Dec. 4 to be the site's busiest shopping day, with 5.8 million shoppers logging in, and 30 gifts purchased per second—nearly doubling last year's mark of 16 gifts purchased per second.
eBay's prediction dovetails with that of e-commerce trade group IMRG, which says online shopping activity will peak between Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, a one-week period starting on Cyber Monday—which is the Monday after Thanksgiving, and the official start of the online holiday shopping season.
IMRG forecasts December online sales to grow 14% year over year, but says snowy weather and the economic climate will bring shoppers out early.
But there will still be opportunities for merchants beyond the initial holiday rush. As consumers look to spread out the cost of Christmas, "the selling period this year is likely to be more protracted, with peaks on weekends in late November and throughout December," notes Neil Saunders, an analyst at Decipher Retail. With Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday, Dec. 24 should bring a "final spike" in holiday sales, he adds.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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