Skimlinks report: International e-Commerce Holiday Buying Trends Revealed

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Skimlinks, the leading content monetization service for publishers, released its second annual report on international holiday e-commerce and what it signals for 2013 trends.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121210/SF26928LOGO)

Skimlinks data offers unique insight into billions of impressions, and millions of clicks and purchase decisions across different types of sites, verticals, devices and countries. With five years of historical browsing and shopping data on our hands, Skimlinks has a finger on the pulse of online e-commerce trends, which we enjoy analyzing and sharing with a broader audience.

Data from Black Friday and Cyber Monday (both the U.S. and U.K version) is particularly fascinating because it's a phenomenon that differs around the world and is a unique barometer to assess how accurate Skimlinks' (and other experts) predictions on e-commerce trends are. As laid out in the Skimlinks' annual holiday e-Commerce infographic, the amount of online holiday spending is, well, crazy. 2012 holiday sales will reach $925 Billion in the U.S. alone, so this report covers a lot of ground.

Highlights from the report:

• Online holiday traffic that publishers sent retailers via mobile devices rose from 14% in 2011 to 23% in 2012.
• The use of online coupons by retailers increases the likelihood of sale by 12% (year-round data).
• Domestic Black Friday weekend sales are 50+% higher than a typical holiday season weekend.
• When placed in content, the phrases 'Black Friday' and 'Cyber Monday' increase clicks and  sales to retailer sites.
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain a North American phenomenon.
• e-sales tend to increase around the 1st and 15th of the month; smart retailers announce sales right after pay-day.
• The biggest online spending day of the year in the UK is the first monday in December following pay-day.

Skimlinks concluded from their data analysis that retailers will be highly effective in driving up sales in 2013 via customized offers, which have short expiration dates and are tied to product scarcity. Given the surge in mobile and tablet usage, retailers who provide personalized offers based on customer data, and create campaigns that span across platforms, will be extremely successful.

To see the full report, and Skimlinks' predictions for 2013, please visit the Skimlinks Blog.

About Skimlinks: Founded in 2007 Skimlinks is a leading content monetization platform that rewards publishers for the role their content plays in creating purchase intent. Skimlinks processes 230 million clicks a month on over 700,000 sites around the Web, including Gawker, AOL Europe, WordPress, Hearst Digital, Haymarket Consumer Media, Telegraph Media Group, and many more. Skimlinks is a team of 50 based in London, San Francisco, and New York. Get in touch with Skimlinks at skimlinks.com/contact.

Media Contact: Aaron Weissman | Marketing Director | direct: 415.426.5743 | [email protected]

SOURCE Skimlinks