Promotion Insights October: Festive frustrations — and how to fight them

Every sector of the economy is feeling the current supply chain struggles, with some retailers in the UK taking the drastic action of filling shelves with pictures of food due to delivery snafus.

This is putting pressure on both retailers and delivery companies, with UPS delivery company in America cautioning shoppers to order in advance of the usual festive shopping period.

There are some 8 million cars on order stranded overseas awaiting import into the US, and wait times for deliveries show no signs of speeding up.

But international delivery woes haven’t meant struggles across the board. COVID-19 has been defined by the massive surge in quick delivery for food and groceries. This Week In Startups podcast has some startling statistics on how fast the sector is growing.

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For more information on how promotions and loyalty can help to smooth demand curves, make sure to check out our recent ebook: Loyalty & Promotions in Supply Chain Crunch Era.

The path to the circular economy

Sustainability and eco-commerce are big consumer trends in the modern market. With Gen Z consumers, in particular, highly concerned about their ecological footprint, there are big growth opportunities for companies that offer reselling, recycling or repair features. And ecological concerns are not just ideals — there’s huge money involved too. Berlin-based Ecosia recently announced they started a €350 million VC fund to incubate green technology.

With brands such as Rothy’s offering a $20 discount for customers who return their old shoes, this is an opportunity to run promotions and build loyalty — while taking care of the planet.

This post from Fluent Commerce breaks down how sustainable commerce and ‘recommerce’ are trends that brands can’t ignore.

With news that Tesla has hit a $1 trillion valuation making all the headlines, a development that was a bit quieter is that Telsa recently ended its referral program. In its heyday, the Tesla referral scheme boasted Roadsters for top referrers, but the shuttering of the scheme for every product except their solar roof panels is a sign of shifting priorities at the EV giant.
With the Tesla promotion scheme aimed at attracting new customers, as demand for Tesla cars massively outstrips their ability to ramp up supply – especially with microchip shortages exacerbating things — perhaps we will see a more retention-focused scheme in the future. For details on how to include promotions at every level of your growth journey, read our Promotions Growth Framework.

Johnny Quach, CPO of Hostelworld Group - watch the video now!

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