Ready, set, peak!

The race is on to win shoppers during peak season. Retailers must ensure teams and systems are ready to deliver impeccable customer experiences that continue well beyond key dates.

Peak shopping periods are pivotal moments for retailers, which Worldpay data shows stretch beyond core days like Black Friday, into adjacent days and weeks.

It’s challenging, though, to maintain a continuously world-class shopping experience amid increased competition, higher return rates, inventory and supply chain pressures and the inevitable surge in fraud attempts.

Payments seal the deal for customers

According to research by Statista, 83% of shoppers in the U.S. and 76% of shoppers in the U.K. plan to take advantage of holiday sales this year. Gen Z and millennials are more likely to notice sales through social media (54%). With so many discovering deals through borderless social channels, international shopping drives considerable revenues.

In fact, cross-border e-commerce is projected to exceed $3.3 trillion by 2028. For retailers wanting to claim a share, succeeding requires understanding regional shopping behaviors, payment preferences and cultural expectations.

What cross-border shoppers worry about:

• Delivery time (56%).
• Tricky returns (47%).
• Hidden fees (25%).

Winning at cross-border during peak season:

• Offer local payment methods to decrease cart abandonment.
• Work from a global calendar and offer incentives and discounts for worldwide shopping events.
• Ensure transparency of pricing by showing local currencies and upfront fees.

Ensuring shoppers – wherever in the world they are – have fast and friction-free shopping journeys will help you get the most out of peak season.

For more tips on personalizing payments for peak, get the guide.

The changing landscape of peak

According to a survey by Bloomreach earlier in the year, around 60% of Americans had used conversational AI to help them shop. Worldpay’s recent Agentic Commerce Report suggests 40% of global shoppers are willing to let AI shop on their behalf. This extraordinary shift underlines the transformation retail is going through. Artificial intelligence is reshaping every aspect of the shopping journey, from product discovery to payment.

Retailers who fail to stay across these changes risk losing market share.

Conscious consumption

It’s not just technology that’s changing, but shopper attitudes too.

Sustainability is increasingly influencing shopping decisions, especially among younger consumers. Seventy-four percent of shoppers aged 18 to 24 are open to buying preloved items, reflecting a “buy less, buy better” mindset. Brands that authentically and visibly integrate sustainability into their operations can differentiate themselves in a crowded market, including during peak season.

Payment experiences can reinforce brand values, like giving options to offset carbon emissions, choose sustainable shipping or donate to charities at checkout. For example, Worldpay partner Pennies enables shoppers to support charities with microdonations, enhancing retailer reputation and the ‘feel good factor’ for shoppers. This can alleviate mixed feelings towards consumption.

Black Fraud-day

Peak periods, unfortunately, bring a spike in fraud attempts.

During Black Friday week in 2024, Christmas-themed phishing attacks rose by 327%, and Black Friday-themed attacks by 692%.

Overly strict fraud protections or too much friction in authentication drives shoppers away – 47% will abandon a transaction if it takes multiple attempts.

Retailers should ensure they have the right technology to strike a balance, letting the good transactions breeze through whilst maintaining sophisticated real-time detection.

This includes tight strategies against refund loopholes, account-takeover and illegitimate chargebacks, all of which can impact retailers’ peak season bottom line.

Strategies for peak performance

“During Black Friday and the holiday rush, retailers can’t afford payment friction,” says Alex Morgan-Moodie, VP Vertical Growth, Worldpay. “Checkout should be fast, reliable and secure because during peak traffic, the easiest part of shopping should be the payment process.”

"During peak traffic, the easiest part of shopping should be the payment process."

To thrive during peak seasons, retailers should:

• Provide localized and personalized payment experiences: Support regional payment methods, display prices in local currencies, and respect local peak shopping periods.
• Meet evolving shopper expectations: Embrace new technologies and adapt to changing preferences.
• Mitigate fraud while maintaining a smooth experience: Use intelligent fraud prevention to protect shoppers without adding unnecessary friction.

Ready to take on peak periods across the globe? Get the guide, learn more about Worldpay for Retail, or get in touch.