Holiday Takeaways for Merchant Services

With another impressive Cyber Week in the books for U.S. merchants, it’s time to look back at the results of that Thanksgiving-to-Cyber Monday stretch, absorb the lessons, and adjust strategies for the remainder of the holiday season and beyond. Cyber Week is the high point of the year for merchants, but the process of optimizing operations and customer journeys goes on all year.

Among the takeaways from Cyber Week 2023: (1) Although Cyber Monday is the focal point for many merchants, Black Friday is the gateway, and the biggest winners find ways to help customers move seamlessly and across channels as they go from shopping to actually buying; (2) Mobile shopping has crossed an important threshold, overtaking desktop shopping among customers who buy from the comfort of home; and (3) buy now, pay later solutions are more than niche products but rather are important tools for shoppers who need the convenience and flexibility of installment payments on a one-time commitment. This Javelin Strategy & Research impact note assesses the most recent Cyber Week