Put some love into your sales this season

Love is in the air, and profit is on the horizon for the eCommerce industry this Valentine’s Day. Billions of dollars are spent globally as consumers look for romantic gifts to buy their loved ones. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that in the US alone, people spent a hefty $23.9Bn in 2022. Make no mistake, Valentine’s Day is a window of opportunity to increase sales and a chance to build and retain more loyal customers.

Internal research reveals that Zbooni merchants follow the same trends, with huge spikes in sales coming during annual events on the calendar such as Ramadan, Black Friday and, of course, Valentine’s Day. But Zbooni users have an advantage. With our simple yet effective Collections feature, retailers can create bespoke packages of their products and target specific groups in their database.

These curated Collections can be prepared ahead of time for a specific date on the calendar, seasons, upcoming sales or simply to target a certain group of customers. They can then be distributed through immediate messaging services like WhatsApp, Facebook or via newsletters.

Direct messaging allows a chance for brands to open up one-to-one conversations with customers, which are more likely to convert a sale. In fact, personalized Collections are proven to result in an 80 per cent conversion rate when shared with existing customers.

So, how can Zbooni merchants make the most of their Collections for Valentine’s Day? Here are four ways to start…

1. Create Collections for her and him

Take a look at your inventory or services that are ideal for gifting during Valentine’s Day. Don’t worry if you don’t have anything specific, just think creatively about how they can be passed off as a gift. Highlight if gifts are ‘for him’ or ‘for her’ – and then package together the most relevant products into a Collection that can easily be shared with these two groups. Then simply create target lists to easily reach both groups using your customer database.

2. Curate product bundles

Putting two or more relevant products into a Collection can help to highlight items that are selling well and ones that need a push. As you can create as many as you like - and name them as you want - you can play around with different variations and offer one-off discounts to create demand.

3. Go for a budget option

While there’s a temptation to bundle all of the most expensive products together in one Collection, it’s a good idea to keep them within an affordable budget. According to a recent Statista survey, the average spend per person across the world is approximately USD 55. This is the sweet spot for impulse purchases. Setting an affordable price point also allows you to showcase more products and services that can help to create repeat customers.

4. Make a bespoke Valentine’s Day promotion or sale

As obvious as this may be, you should make sure that any of your Collections are part of a wider Valentine’s Day promotion. Consumers are always on the lookout for a bargain, and while individual items or services can be reduced in price, Collections that seemingly offer more for less are an interesting way to spark conversation and drive sales.