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how shopping habits have changed this peak.

maintain your peak season momentum into next year. 

common barriers to ecommerce growth.

what to read next.

It's not time to stop thinking about Christmas just yet. We may still be recovering from excessive mince pies, vino and turkey, but before we box away the festive season until later this year and jump into that next campaign or season, there's important tasks to complete.

the lessons you can learn from peak to make 2022 even better.

the areas of your business you can gather valuable data and insights from.

how to make the most of your newly acquired customers this year.

In such busy times, we can all be guilty of putting the last 12 months to the back of our minds and simply cracking on with the year ahead.

However, you’ve just made it through the epic event of managing peak trading that wasn’t made any easier by an ongoing global pandemic. Before you jump in, take the time to reflect and celebrate those wins to set the scene for the year ahead and be sure to congratulate yourself (and your team) on last year’s achievements. 


lessons you can take into the next 12 months

We’re a couple of weeks into January, you’ve had chance to clear those emails and complete those admin tasks that awaited you in the new year. But before everybody gets pulled into the fast pace of 2022, this is an ideal time to book in some time with team members across key departments to review how peak went.

Catching up with your teams should be a top priority and you’ll get more out of the process if you do it collaboratively. Consider covering topics such as:

what lessons can you learn to make the year ahead even better?

while it’s fresh in your mind, what learnings can you take to implement into peak this year?

are there are any areas that didn’t work out as hoped?

With a huge volume of sales recently passing through your store, the sheer data available is just waiting for you to investigate. If you want to stay ahead, use all the learnings you possibly can to drive even better results this year.

It’s worth splitting this analysis down into multiple areas so it’s easier to spot learnings. While you explore each, consider how they compare to your expectations and the previous year.

Maybe a promotion or product surpassed expectations and was extremely successful. Or maybe you invested budget into a particular sales channel that didn’t perform as well as you hoped.

It’s important to have a critical yet open mindset to gather and make use of the most valuable insights you can gain from analysing:

 Which products sold well and which not so much?

 Where did the majority of your sales come from? Which channels performed particularly well, and which didn’t hit the mark?

 Which channels performed above the rest and which channels weren’t up to scratch?

 Did you experience any operational issues such as delayed delivery times or longer customer query response times?

 Did you notice any standout activity that other merchants were doing?

Acquiring customers is only half of it. During peak, you’ve invested significant time and money into gathering data. Don’t let your efforts stop there. This data can be leveraged into the new year to reengage with those who didn’t convert to generate more sales.

How will you make the most of these new customers to grow your repeat sales this year?

Ensure you’re continuing those all-important customer connections with engaging post-peak communications featuring new stock updates, sales events and general brand information.

Remarketing was made for post-peak, giving you a chance to win back some of those lost visitors. These campaigns can be used to target previous visitors, encouraging them to return and convert.

Once a visitor has engaged with your brand, you have more data on their preferences. Use this insight to define segments and create tailored ads in the new year that are suited to the individual. Dynamic ads can be used to automatically adapt content to each user, ensuring they always receive relevant ads with a higher chance of engagement.

 This time of year, is ideal to entice customers to purchase that product they’ve had their eye on for a discounted price. Remarketing ads can be used to advertise a product to a user who showed interest. You could even feature a discounted price or promotion code as an incentive to convert.

New products or season lines are a great hook for reengaging shoppers who have shown interest in similar items. Social media posts or emails can be used to showcase new stock to get visitors to return to your site and purchase again.

There’s so much to learn from peak season. Using your team on the front line, data and previous performance can help drive decisions to forge customer loyalty that will last beyond peak.

Taking all this into account will help you plan for the year ahead. Maybe there are changes you want to make to your store or developments that need to be done to make these improvements possible.

Putting a roadmap in place or an eCommerce calendar of sorts that can be 

carried out through a retainer plan will help you get the most from your website and budget

. If you need to chat more about the year that lays ahead and how it could look for your eCommerce store, 

contact our team of Shopify Plus and eCommerce experts.

Time to get going - there’s only 312 days (at the time of publish) until Black Friday!

what did you learn this peak.

Live shopping marks the start of a new chapter in eCommerce. Combining technology with social media and the former days of at-home shopping, this is a powerful channel for brands. Linking an online livestream with your eCommerce store, live shopping allows viewers to watch and shop at the same time. 

How exactly this channel will develop remains to be seen. But as keen eCommerce specialists, we wanted to explore the topic further.

how live shopping has made a modern-day comeback.

seven tips to help you get started with live shopping. 


In the late 70s and early to mid-80s, live shopping networks like QVC and Home Shopping Channel made their first appearance on TVs around the world. These free-to-air channels often sold home goods, fashion and beauty products. 

It’s not uncommon for past trends to make a comeback and live shopping is no different. Fast forward a few decades and a modern twist to this way to shop has emerged. 

Today, live shopping - or livestream shopping - has digitized the home shopping experience through apps, websites and social media channels. Brought into the modern age, businesses can now promote, sell and provide real-time communication, reviews and recommendations on products all in one place. 

Dan Conboy, Managing Director at Statement, shared his thoughts: “Any innovation always needs to be carefully considered as to how it can be incorporated into a brand. But with the right approach, live shopping has the potential to add value in terms of brand awareness, customer service and, ultimately, growth in orders.”

 Live commerce is an immersive shopping experience that aims to keep viewers engaged for longer and encourage them to buy. In some cases, it can also fast track the full shopping journey from awareness all the way through to purchase in a matter of minutes. Designed to create a connection with your audience, live shopping can greatly reduce cart abandonment rates while increasing the number of returning customers. 


 As an emerging sales channel, when done well, live shopping can increase your brand’s competitive edge by distinguishing you from competitors. It’s capable of strengthening engagement with your existing customers and attracting new shoppers through different channels.


 Live shopping gives you chance to engage with your shoppers in a different environment. Tuning into a livestream from a favourite brand is a great way to offer viewers product tutorials such as showing clothing on a live model or answering common questions as well as providing exclusive discounts, product recommendations and reviews. 


 Much like celebrity endorsements in the early days of live shopping, a publicly known figure is a great way to develop trust with viewers. Today, those figures are influencers. If your live shopping stream is hosted or advertised by an online influencer or celebrity your audience already trust, you’re more likely to see increased engagement and conversion rates. Influencers also help to build that 

 that has become so important in today’s eCommerce world.


In a society that has experienced rolling restrictions, live shopping is an experience that closely resembles in-person shopping but with the added comfort of your own surroundings. Live shopping removes the barrier between customers and brands that can occur in typical online purchasing. Viewers can watch on as people try on products and share insight in real-time with the forum to comment, ask questions or share their interests. These interactions can help build trust with your audience, helping them feel valued, heard, and part of a bigger experience. 

You’ll need to carefully consider how you approach live shopping to get the most out of this tactic. It’s best to try low-risk options first before evolving your capabilities as you learn what works for you and your audience.

To support you in getting started, we share insight into seven important elements to consider:

The host can make or break your live shopping experience. Businesses usually use one or two people to host the event, introduce the products and interact with the audience to trigger sales. Questions like the below will help you make the right choice for your brand:

who is the ideal person to host your brand publicly?

do you have an inspirational founder you could use?

could you partner with a presenter or influencer?

who is capable of representing your brand in a live forum?



The right host can make a notable difference to the success of your livestream. If you choose to partner with a known influencer who will appeal to your fan base, advertising this before the live shopping stream will encourage your audience to sign up and get involved.

Think about when the best time would be to host your event. Make sure this fits in with the lifestyles of your audience by considering who they are and where they are based.

Look at your data to help you make a more informed decision, analyse the peak shopping times of your users and when they’re on social media engaging with your other content.

Live shopping can be centred around many formats. It’s worth trying a few different ones to figure out what works well for your brand and your products as well as what your audience engages best with. Examples include but aren’t limited to:  

tutorials: These work well for makeup demonstrations, to show a product in action or inform the viewer how to get the most out of the product. Tutorials are also effective at showing the audience a specific product while also suggesting how it can be combined with other products to open up cross-sell opportunities. 

interviews: Interview formats with an influencer or relevant person can feel more personal, authentic and genuine. While they may not suit every brand or product, they can be effective for product launches, building awareness and driving traffic. 

behind the scenes: Live shopping experiences that offer an inside story into a product or business can help build trust with your audience. For example, 

a fashion retailer with a strong sustainability mission

 may be able to better showcase their supply chain and environmental awareness through a live event. 


Why will people want to tune into your event? As with all areas of eCommerce, rarely can you simply launch a product or event and expect shoppers to come running. There should be an evident benefit to the viewer for tuning into the livestream such as a VIP or limited time offer or insight into a new product. Call to actions like these help to create urgency, encouraging people to buy now. 

Consider how you are going to host your live shopping stream. Will it be linked to your eCommerce store? Are you running it on a social channel – if so, have you considered which one? Can it be run through your platform or a supporting app? 

Social networks such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok now offer ways to run live shopping events via their platforms. Through integration with eCommerce platforms such as 

, you can directly link to your eCommerce and generate new revenue opportunities.

For example, several apps link to Shopify including 

. It’s always worth reading the reviews, speaking with the platforms themselves or your web agency to find out more as each offers different features – some that may be more useful to your business than others. 

We recommend leaving time to run a test event before the real thing. This could be done with your team or an external group to see how the event runs and ensure everything works as expected such as filming, sound, apps and technology. 

Although you don’t want anything major to go wrong during a live shopping event and it’s important to be prepared, this channel is an authentic one and as such, audiences naturally expect and often favour genuine interaction. 

We would advise testing the waters by focusing your first livestream on no more than five products or one range. Additionally, rely on the technology of just one social media channel or marketplace as not to increase the risk of something going wrong. 

Don’t let all the effort of putting your live shopping event in place go to waste. Use the data you have collated for those who have registered and/or attended to request feedback and follow up with relevant offers or future event promotions.

It’s also worth tracking livestream performance to gather insights into who tuned in, content, products, formats, hosts and timing so impactful changes can be made for the next event. Speak to your customers, ask them what they liked and disliked, what they want to see next time, review comments on social and, of course, review sales data. 

From what we’ve observed so far, we’re expecting to see live shopping become a prominent sales channel that will continue to develop:

 Big-name influencers and celebrities are expensive to hire and might not always make good hosts. Using influencers with a smaller but dedicated following can create better engagement and connection with your audiences at a lower cost. 

 As live commerce increases its reach, more traditional industries such as healthcare, engineering, finance, and maybe even B2B sectors are likely to test the waters.

As technology continues to evolve such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), new formats are likely to emerge to make the shopping experience even more immersive. Eventually, shoppers might even be able to have virtual face-to-face conversations with a brand just as if they were in a store.

eCommerce shopping is fast and convenient, but the lack of human interaction is often missed. Live shopping provides a needed dose of human connection to a digital buying experience that can sometimes feel robotic. What’s clear is that live shopping holds enormous potential for brands and eCommerce platforms alike. Like many other new customer behaviours and technologies, live shopping is likely to become a crucial part of the buying experience for many brands. 

As an eCommerce agency founded by an eCommerce business, we always keep one finger on the pulse of the digital world and how it’s developing. If live shopping is something you want to know more about or whether it could be a worthwhile tactic for your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of 

transforming ecommerce with live shopping. 

a career in development: an interview with developer, lucy old.

forging a career in tech: a talk with ux analyst, rebecca holmes.

a fulfilling career in tech: a chat with sarah tyas.  

The current stats for women working in tech careers aren’t the most optimistic. Only 

31 percent of UK tech jobs are held by women

five percent of females hold leadership positions in the technology industry

Research has shown that the gender gap begins all the way back in school

 and continues through to A-Levels, university and career choices. A lack of female role models is reinforcing the perception that a technology career isn’t for women, and some are even being put off a career in tech due to the industry being heavily dominated by males. It’s a cycle that needs to be broken.

digital is at the heart of the revolution

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Tech is more important than ever before, and we have confidence that inclusion will continue to grow. For now, there’s still a huge gender gap when it comes to tech careers and it’s time to close that gap.

As technology organisations, we have a responsibility to inspire. Technology is a force for good and will only benefit from a better balance of each gender so let's celebrate the positives - our people. 

Women make up 38 percent of our people, with five percent of these roles being in leadership. 46 percent of women have been in their role for over a year and their impressive expertise spans the full agency including: 

So, how can we help spread the word? Are women not considering a career in tech as they aren’t given enough insight into the vast opportunities available to them and what these roles are 

We’ve been chatting to the women who work at Statement. 

Read what they had to say to find out invaluable insight into how these individuals found their way into a career in tech, what they have to say about tech being a male-dominated industry and first-hand advice on how you can land the career you’ve always wanted.

11 years in tech: talking with client services director, claire taylor.

joining the tech world with no experience: an interview with maria real. 

starting a new career after children: an interview with priti jain. 

celebrating women in tech: an interview with hollie tansey.

a career in an ecommerce agency: speaking with hannah maddock. 

fashion designer to project manager: an interview with catherine donnelly. 

creating a career in tech: an interview with ux analyst, jane dixon. 

Half of females agree that feeling like the work they do makes the world a better place

 is one of the most important factors when deciding their future career. 

Could your tech career be waiting for you? 

get in touch to find out what opportunities await you

celebrating women in tech.

Our friends over at Klarna have compiled their research

 to show how the way consumers will shop has changed this peak. To some, it might still feel a bit early to mention the ‘C’ word. But Christmas is fast approaching and Klarna’s research proves that people are in the festive shopping spirit earlier than ever and plan to spend more.

Based on a comprehensive survey of over 8,000 UK shoppers and Klarna consumers, we present key insights into how shoppers are changing their consumer habits this peak and why it’s important to understand these changes.

what discovery tools we are using to find gifts.

Timing is everything, and families all over the world have begun to think about their plans for Christmas. It has been a tough couple of years, and many are hoping this Christmas will feel more normal now that we can reconnect with our nearest and dearest.

Nearly 20 percent of the 8,000 people who took part in Klarna’s survey said they had already begun shopping, with another 23 percent planning to get started before Black Friday. The reason why? Most early-bird shoppers want to avoid any last-minute stress and ensure Christmas is well and truly wrapped up before Christmas Eve.

It also turns out that those who plan on getting everything wrapped up early are planning to spend, on average, a staggering 32 percent more. It makes sense, whether it’s splurging on our loved ones or spoiling our lockdown pet, the great British public seems to have conclusively decided to make the most of this festive season.

Last year, many holiday shoppers revealed that their bulk of shopping was done over peak. Customers spent the most money on Black Friday (38 percent), Cyber Monday (24 percent) and Green Monday (12 percent) than any other days across the peak period.

It seems that many are going to be digging deep into their wallets this year, and they have every right to after last Christmas being almost unrecognisable to the masses. Almost a quarter of shoppers plan to spend more on gifts this season.

Many families have chosen to use the money they saved during lockdown from not going on holiday, commuting, seeing family, or going on days out to splurge this Christmas. This year, people are keen to get back to normality and are ready to spend big to make up for lost time.

Don’t underestimate the spending abilities of the younger generations too. This peak, Gen Z (40 percent) and Millennials (37 percent) are more likely than any other age category to expand their budgets. Younger shoppers are also more likely to seek out flexible payment plans like Klarna’s Pay in 3 solution this shopping season.

But who are all these gifts for? 81 percent of shoppers will be buying for family, but nearly half (44 percent) will be purchasing gifts for friends too and just 34 percent will be purchasing something for their significant other. Perhaps young couples are choosing to spend less on each other and save up for those much-missed holidays or larger life purchases such as houses or cars?

As for our work friends, the relationships with our colleagues are clearly changing. Maybe even secret Santa has had its day. Gone are the days of spending more time with them than with your family as working environments and patterns have seen a significant shakeup.

Over the 17 months that we faced rolling lockdowns and various restrictions, many people started jobs and left old ones behind, some without even meeting their new colleagues face to face. This has contributed to an 

easy-come, easy-go attitude towards workplaces

 which created uncertainty in office relationships. So, there’s little surprise that only a mere 7 percent are expected to buy for a work colleague this Christmas.

You may be unsurprised to hear that given more than 

 over the lockdown period, a whopping 64 percent of shoppers intend to buy presents for their furry (or feathery) companions this peak.

As dogs, cats, rabbits and reptiles joined families throughout the pandemic, they quickly cemented their place in our hearts as a great source of happiness. Helping many people get through the difficulties of quarantine, our pets kept us company, kept us entertained and kept us fit with regular exercise – there’s no wonder they’re set to be well and truly spoilt this Christmas.

Every year, it feels like the festive season starts earlier and earlier. Maybe we’re all excited to find a good bargain, or we just can’t wait to give our loved ones a great gift. Whatever the reason, Klarna’s research shows that many are set to start shopping earlier this year with 46 percent of people stating they’ll have begun shopping before Black Friday.

During the pandemic, many new consumers made the move to eCommerce to meet their shopping needs. It seems this move has stuck with Klarna reporting that 49 percent of shoppers will do the bulk of their Christmas shopping online.

What’s more, the report showed that the greatest growth in online shopping is from baby boomers and this demographic are expected to continue reaping the benefits of online shopping this peak.

As the majority look to online shopping, 1 in 8 (12 percent) shoppers do still plan to visit in-store locations. And what’s more, a huge 82 percent of shoppers expect a seamless, connected online and offline shopping experience no matter how they choose to make their Christmas purchases.

sustainable and eco-friendly for younger shoppers

There’s not only been an ongoing global pandemic, but we’re also experiencing the influence of leading climate change activists which has sparked action from major companies to reconsider their impact.

With greater concern for our planet, there is a 

 with many making their shopping choices based on the ethical mission and behaviour of a brand. This is particularly notable across Gen Z and Millennials who confirmed they are likely to shop from a brand with a charitable or ‘give-back mission’ compared to older generations.

When it comes to sustainability and ethics, 64 percent agreed they would opt-in for sustainable and eco-friendly gift-wrapping options.

the power of social media and your spending habits

Social media has already made its mark on the digital world as a powerful tool and an important part of customer acquisition. However, 

 with 63 percent of Gen Z and 59 percent of Millennials saying they have purchased a product after seeing it on social media.

This openness to finding new products online is only growing in popularity. Social interactions across different platforms can be used to create rich shopping experiences between your business and customers. Engaging with customers in a social commerce environment could be done through Q&A sessions, social posts, frequent stories and even live shopping events. 

In fact, livestream shopping seems to be the highlight, at least among younger audiences. 54 percent of Gen Z and 59 percent of Millennials say they’re interested in checking out livestream shopping events this year where brands can promote products and engage with their audiences. The power of these social media platforms is only multiplying with older shoppers (33 percent of Gen Xers and 16 percent of Baby Boomers) being influenced by their feeds too.

In terms of channels, it was found that 75 percent of men are expected to turn to Facebook for gift inspiration this year in comparison to 58 percent of women, who will mostly rely on Instagram. This is due to the growing reliance on social media this past year. Many celebrities and social media influencers also offer brand deals and endorsements which they offer to customers.

These stats go to show that social commerce isn’t just for one generation or one gender. This form of shopping is cementing itself in our lives as a key channel that’s only set to increase in popularity.

Brands can expect online shopping to continue prevailing this year. With the likes of well-trusted payment providers like 

Klarna combined with the power of Shopify

, you can focus on converting more shoppers on your store. We’ve implemented Klarna for many brands including 

 to create smooth and stress-free shopping experiences for their customers.

After the recent years we’ve all been through, one thing is for certain: this Christmas will surely be spectacular. If you want to talk more about 

making the most out of this year’s peak season now and into next year

Shopify recently announced the launch of Shopify Markets – a new and easier way for merchants to scale internationally. If going global is in your plans, Shopify Markets will let you sell to anyone on the internet from a single store. 

The new addition to the Shopify platform is currently still in beta and not yet available to everyone. In the meantime, we’ve been digging into the different functionalities it will offer.

Until now, Shopify merchants would have needed to set up multiple stores for individual regions. However, with a world of online opportunity just waiting to be tapped into, today, merchants need less complexity and more ease. 

, internationalisation will be made possible through a single storefront and admin console. Making the management of your eCommerce operations seamless, you’ll be able to take care of pricing, currencies and calculating duties all within one place. 

Providing everything you need to sell to a global audience, Shopify Markets streamlines global expansion making it easier than ever to grow your business. 

 Reach new markets and new customers in just a few clicks from one admin console and one store. 

 Increase your selling opportunities by creating custom buying experiences for individual markets. 

Shopify Markets offers new settings allowing you to automatically optimise your business across markets and manage different regions with greater ease and control. 

Make it easier to connect with your international customers by allowing them to engage familiar shopping experiences that will convert in their market. 

Remember, Shopify Markets is still in beta and not yet available to all, but the announcement has been made of the launch coming soon. Here’s a little more on what we can expect Shopify Markets will bring to the platform:

 Select market areas that are relevant to your business by creating a single country market or by grouping various countries together. 

Take control of your global pricing strategy by setting specific prices for specific markets. 

 Serve products to your customers in different markets based on where your inventory is located to make logistics that little bit easier. 

With automated optimisation, you can optimise for international markets based on data and changing market conditions. 

 Get to know your markets one by one with market analytics. See your performance across each region so you can predict demand and set specific goals. 

If you want to find out more about Shopify Markets, whether it could be a suitable option for your expansion plans and what to expect, 

don’t hesitate to get in touch and register your interest

. We have experience working with brands to grow their global presence including 

going global with shopify markets. 

Consumers and businesses alike are becoming more interested in making environmentally friendly choices. But how to become a sustainable eCommerce brand isn’t always clear. What do consumers genuinely care about? Are they truly paying more attention to sustainability? What can you do as a business to ensure you’re both sustainable and profitable? 

Momentum has been building for some time for brands to exist with a purpose greater than making money. An expectation has grown to bring value to consumers in ways beyond simply offering the product or service they want. 

So, what has caused these changes and how can businesses meet the growing demand for sustainable eCommerce? 

what exactly we mean when we talk about sustainability

the ins and outs of sustainable ecommerce

how some brands have made their ecommerce offering more sustainable 

There’s a worldwide concern for the future of our planet and the responsibility falls with every one of us to do our bit. 

Retail is undergoing a transition. eCommerce has opened new sales channels and new opportunities to engage shoppers, a trend that COVID has only accelerated. While the fast uptake in eCommerce has led to some huge conveniences, it’s also responsible for huge environmental impact. We’ve soon recognised that modern-day factors such as single-use plastic packaging and speedy shipping times are simply not sustainable. 

This has led to greater demand for sustainability, particularly in eCommerce, with growing consumer desire for sustainable eCommerce is putting pressure on brands. In an episode of the 

, McKinsey partner, Sebastian Gatze said: 

“One out of four consumers say they are planning to focus more on environmental issues and will pay more attention to social aspects in their shopping behaviour.”

Sustainability means doing something in a way that doesn’t deplete natural resources and supports long-term, global balance. It’s about balancing the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.

Another buzz word or so much more than that? Sustainability has been openly discussed by shoppers and brands over recent years. But it’s about more than just being environmentally friendly. It’s also about how a business can be sustained. 

When it comes to eCommerce, the main concerns are how online purchases are packaged, delivered and returned to the retailer. Each of these add to cost, time, materials and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Alongside these, there are also other areas to consider:

 Our disposable nature has made it easy for us to disregard products as fast as we buy them. A commonly discussed sustainability challenge is the fast fashion culture that this mindset has created. 

Cheap clothing produced quickly and sold in large quantities – there’s no wonder this business model is having profound environmental impacts. The pull to fast-fashion shopping? 

21 percent of UK respondents say that lower prices are their top reason for purchasing

 While there is of course a moral importance for brands to start considering sustainability, there are also financial gains to be had. Sustainability and profitability can co-exist. Even as far back as the 1990s, 

John Elkington had already coined the idea of the triple bottom line

 with business profitability centring around “people, planet and profit.”

Sustainable business practices help brands connect with consumers. By genuinely caring about people and the planet, brands can differentiate themselves and stand out in a competitive space. When a brand can resonate and connect with the public, it usually leads to more sales and higher profitability. Essentially, being sustainable can act as a selling point to attract new customers. 


There’s a lot of industry chatter about brands wanting to look like they’re making an effort to be more sustainable but they’re not living up to their promises. For example, 

Expert ecommerce advice, Shopify insights and optimisation tips.css-vykmad{color:var(--chakra-colors-brand-500);}.

Expert ecommerce advice, Shopify insights and optimisation tips.