Back to School Means Holiday Shopping is Around the Corner — Are You Ready?

Marketers look at the back-to-school and holiday seasons with both anxiety and anticipation. The success of back-to-school sales is often a precursor for what’s coming right around the corner as we officially enter the almighty consumer holiday shopping season. Unfortunately, the 2009 back-to-school spend may fall short of marketers’ expectations as the National Retail Federation’s 2009 Back to School Survey predicts spending will decline by nearly 10 percent.
Without totally playing the Doom and Gloom Card…take solace…there are signs the recession is letting up and consumer confidence is starting to slowly return. But, economic conditions are and will continue to have a large impact on consumer purchasing.

By all accounts, the economy is not going to get substantially better in time for the holidays. Hey, I’m a realist! But, smart retailers—both large and small—can get ready to use the Internet to their advantage by incorporating IP Intelligence—the wealth of information gleaned from a customer’s IP address—into their e-commerce initiatives. This allows them to better, and instantly, connect with online shoppers where it matters the most—closer to home. The launch of our NetAcuity Edge product lets retailers do just that. For local retailers, it’s the difference between targeting everyone in Metro New York or specifically targeting residents in a local borough such as Queens.

It could also be the difference between a successful holiday season and one like last year. I’ll try and keep the Doom and Gloom card in my pocket, but I’m just saying…