Mother’s Day is celebrated in the UK on the fourth Sunday of Lent and has become a big retail moment in the lead up to Easter. In fact, it’s currently the fourth most popular national and religious event in the UK, in front of Easter and Valentine’s Day. Despite the ongoing cost of living crisis, GlobalData has uncovered that UK shoppers plan to spend £1.7 billion this year on Mother’s Day gifts, which marks a 1.1% increase from 2023.
The UK is one of the most lucrative eCommerce markets in Europe, with around 60 million people estimated to shop online in 2023 and this figure is expected to grow further in the future. Moreover, it’s vital for businesses to ensure they have a strong eCommerce strategy in place, which aligns with current consumer payment trends and preferences.
In this article, we’ll uncover some of these trends and provide tips on how eCommerce businesses can outshine their competitors on this joyous family day.
Most online orders are made on smartphones
With 97% of UK shoppers currently owning a smartphone, this has facilitated the growth of mobile commerce (mCommerce). In 2023, 71% of online retail shopping orders in the UK were estimated to be completed on a smartphone, followed by desktops (28%) and tablets (2%), according to Statista. Furthermore, it’s paramount for businesses to ensure their eCommerce website is optimised for mobile users, which includes fast website loading times, mobile-first online shops and mobile payment options (more to come on this).
eWallets are accelerating in the UK
Diving into UK payment preferences, it can be seen that eWallets have superseded cards as the most popular online payment method. In 2022, 35% of UK consumers used eWallets to shop online, followed by credit cards (24%), debit cards (22%), account-to-account (9%) and Buy Now Pay Later (8%). PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay™ were found to be among the most common eWallets used by UK consumers in 2023, according to Statista.
Mobile wallets provide an easy and convenient way for UK shoppers to make payments online. Many smartphones like Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android phone have made this even easier with readily installed eWallet capabilities, without requiring consumers to download a separate app to add this information. Furthermore, businesses who are looking to get involved in Mother’s Day should ensure that they are working with a payments partner who is dedicated to helping them generate more revenue by integrating alternative payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay™ into their payments mix.
Shoppers are after gifts with good value for money
In the face of rising living costs, many UK shoppers are adopting savvy shopping tactics for Mother’s Day gifts and are often waiting until products have a promotion before purchasing them. Mintel has uncovered this to be the case for 79% of UK consumers. Further to this, gift sets were found to be a popular purchase for cost-conscious customers in 2023, with 57% of surveyed UK consumers stating they believe this provided good value for money. Ahead of Mother’s Day, businesses can look at creating marketing campaigns around special Mother’s Day promotions and gift bundles to maximise sales. A prime example of this is John Lewis, who’s launched a Mother’s Day Gifts range that features special gift sets and personalised products.
Create memorable moments with personalised gifts
Personalisation is a great way for eCommerce businesses to elevate and renew interest in existing products, while helping to create special memories for their customers. Mintel research found that 26% of UK consumers were interested in buying gifts that could be personalised in 2023, and this trend is expected to grow in 2024. By providing this additional perk for Mother’s Day product ranges, businesses can also provide consumers with greater value for money, which can help to maximise their sales.
Introduce gamification into your Mother’s Day strategy
The increased uptake of smartphone devices among UK consumers has also provided opportunities for businesses to leverage gamification to boost eCommerce sales. In fact, Europe and Latin America’s gamification market size is forecasted to reach US$8.72 billion in 2024, with this projected to hit US$30.24 billion by 2029. Businesses can introduce gamification in the form of interactive activities like spinning wheels or Mother’s Day-themed games, with special gifts and discount codes on offer. By utilising this strategy, businesses can further appeal to discount-savvy UK consumers.
How emerchantpay can help
Special events such as Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day require eCommerce businesses to plan ahead and stay abreast of the competition with targeted marketing campaigns. At the same time, striving to provide a seamless user journey is always a top priority for online businesses. The increased demand for online shopping is no silver bullet and eCommerce businesses should always stay on top of their game and ensure they have solid payment infrastructure in place both online and in-store.
emerchantpay can help you do just that, as a global payment provider and acquirer. Our all-in-one payment solution can support you in accepting online, in-app and in-store transactions seamlessly, which includes popular eWallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay™. Alongside this, you’ll have your very own Account Manager, Risk Analyst and 24/7 technical support to help your business to optimise its payments flow. Our PCI Level 1 compliant offering includes robust risk and fraud mitigating services, helping you to improve acceptance and conversion rates.
Reach out to our payment specialists today to learn more about how our acquiring and gateway solutions can benefit your eCommerce business.