text: Riccio adds, smaller retailers should also build brand awareness with social media and search engine optimization which combines paid and organic efforts and can result in a 25% increase in clicks. Lastly, is to redefine product loyalty by investing in personalization and by marketing localization strategies to drive more relevant brand interactions, coupled with offers, benefits, and promotions that can build loyalty with new consumers and fortify it with existing ones.
  A survey from NRF on the 2020 holiday season found with the pandemic, 74% of retailers think this year’s holiday season will be longer, stretching over several months and almost half of respondents expect consumers to start their holiday shopping in October this year. This year Amazon’s two-day Prime Day was moved from July to October 13- 14 to kick-off the holiday season in what is expected to be a strong year for ecommerce. Competing head-to-head with Prime Day was Walmart with a “Big Save” promotion and Target with a “Deal Days” promotion.
  Cindy Riccio notes, “Now is not the time to be a last-minute shopper. Holiday shopping kicked off with Amazon Prime Days on October 13 and 14 and we’re already seeing 25-35% more online shopping. With more Americans still reluctant to return to physical stores and moving online to do their shopping amid the pandemic, many companies are increasing staff to meet the new demand”.