In retail, there is no rest for the weary! Following a busy peak Holiday season, retailers and brands entered the busiest returns season of the year – also known as “Returnuary”. According to forecasts, this January, retail return rates will be 17% higher, on average, than usual.
Gift buying is never easy – and despite their best efforts, there’s a high chance that your customers didn’t get all their 2024 Holiday gift purchases quite right, driving higher eCommerce return rates.
While you’re dealing with the influx of returns and wondering what your business can do to make gift buying easier for your customers and reduce costly returns, consider investing in technologies that help customers make more informed and better buying decisions in the first place.
With Valentine’s Day looming, many shoppers are already gift shopping online. From curated gift guides to social proof, there are many solutions that can help shoppers find that perfect gift for their loved ones – the one that won’t get returned!
Valentine’s Day shopping trends
According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2025, up from last year’s $25.8 billion and slightly above the previous record of $27.4 billion set in 2020. Shoppers plan to spend $188.81 on average on the holiday, up from $185.81 in 2024. Although the majority of spending is allocated to significant others and family members, showing appreciation for friends and even coworkers continues to rise in popularity.
The top shopping destination for Valentine’s Day shopping remains online (38%), followed by department stores (34%), discount stores (29%) and florists and specialty stores (tied at 18%).
With so many people shopping online for gifts, how can you help your customers share the love and get their gift-buying spot on, however difficult the person they are buying for may be to please? It’s a frustrating process that can test even the most solid of relationships.
Social proof messaging and Valentine’s Day shopping
Real-time social proof messaging can make a huge difference to customer confidence in what they are purchasing. It helps them to quickly identify bestsellers and popular and trending items. As a virtual sales associate it helps to answer the questions a customer might normally ask in-store. Such popularity and urgency messaging not only helps to inspire customers to discover the perfect gift, it gives confidence in their choices – but can also warn them when stock is getting low.
Flowers, chocolates and jewelry are perfect for Valentine’s Day, but shoppers may also be looking for something more personal to their partner’s hobbies or likes, which can be hard for the novice buyer.
When social proof messaging is combined with aggregated review messaging, the impact is even more powerful. By highlighting, for example, items that are rated five stars or key review data such as aggregated reviews for size and fit, shoppers are more informed and confident that what they are buying is the best option.
By buying right, first-time consumers – and their gift recipients – are happier and less likely to return their purchases.
Better informed and confident shoppers lead to significant increases in conversion rate and revenue. Many of Taggstar’s retail customers report double-digit increases in conversion rates when using the technology. Importantly, social proof messaging will not only deliver results quickly but also be implemented quickly.
The elevated customer experience will build strong loyalty that will keep your customers coming back for more, as well as powerful word-of-mouth marketing around how helpful your site was in the buying process.
Social proof messaging is a perfect tool to help inspire weary gift buyers to discover the perfect gift online, enabling them to make better purchase decisions on gifts that their loved ones will adore, whatever the occasion, as well as a perfect way to help reduce the return rates of unwanted gifts. What’s not to love?
Join the growing list of leading global brands & retailers that trust Taggstar to elevate their shopping experiences and drive significant sales lift. Get started today.
