eHoliday Study 2011 – Frequently Asked Questions

What benefits do I get from taking the survey?
Is the survey long?
Who can participate?
What about survey confidentiality?
Who takes the survey within each company?
What if I am not able to participate in the pre-holiday survey?
Which consumers participate?
What is the timing of the retailer surveys?
What do the surveys ask?
How can I access prior year eHoliday Study Results?

What benefits do I get from taking the survey?
There are three great reasons to participate in the annual Shop.org eHoliday Study. Participants receive:

• Ongoing holiday season analysis and data
  For the annual eHoliday research, we conduct two retailer and consumer surveys (one pre-holiday, one post-holiday). Following completion of each survey, participating retailers receive a summary of those results. This means several in-depth, real-time analyses of how retailers and consumers are tackling the holiday season. Please note that no individual company data is shared, we report data results only in aggregate.
• Research from which to learn and plan
  • The 2011 Post-Holiday consumer and retailer survey results. (Released January 17, 2012)
  • The Shipping Deadlines results. (Released Dec. 13, 2011)
  • The Thanksgiving, Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday retailer survey results. (Releaseed November 21, 2011)
  • The eHoliday 2011 Pre-Holiday Retailer and Consumer Survey results. (Released October 2011)
  • The 2011 Shop.org Holiday Strategy & Planning Guide is available to all Shop.org members (published August 2011). 
• Contribution to the eCommerce community
  Your participation in both the pre- and post-holiday surveys is crucial for us to learn and share within the Shop.org eCommerce community online holiday best practices and lessons learned. You directly benefit from research that helps you to define strategy, craft tactics, analyze needed investments in your site and marketing, improve promotions, and benchmark your results.

Is the survey long?
We know you are always busy, and especially so around the holiday season, so we strive to keep each survey a manageable length without sacrificing insights into key topics. The 2011 post-holiday retailer survey consisted of 11 questions across marketing, merchandising and cross-channel managemnent for the 2011 holiday season. The 2011 pre-holiday retailer survey consisted of 21 questions to probe results, experiences, and trends across marketing and promotions, merchandising, and general preparations for the 2011 holiday season. 

Who can participate?
The annual eHoliday Study surveys retailers, therefore only retail companies may participate. If you're not a retailer, you are not eligible to participate. To find out if your company is registered to participate, please email us.

What about survey confidentiality?
Survey results are provided shortly after we complete each wave of the study. We only report survey results in aggregate and do NOT reveal individual company results. Shop.org has been collecting  research information from its members for many years and has never broken its promise to keep confidential information just that – confidential.

Who takes the survey within each company?
We look for one primary contact per retail company to participate in each retailer survey (one pre-holiday, one post-holiday).  Please let us know if you would like to participate in the 2012 eHoliday research, which will start up again in Fall 2012.

What if I was not able to participate in the most recent holiday survey?
The full 2011 eHoliday pre-holiday results and post-holiday results were released to Shop.org members throughout the fall of 2011 and into January 2012. We asked retailers for their insights and "lessons learned" throughout the season, which in turn will be invaluable additions to our overall eHoliday findings and the 2012 Holiday Strategy & Planning Guide (due for release in early summer 2012). 

Which consumers participate?
For the consumer questions, our research partner BIGinsight taps its consumer panel.

What is the timing of the retailer surveys?
The pre-holiday retailer survey is fielded in September and early October, and the post-holiday retailer survey is conducted in early January.  The 2011 post-holiday results, 2011 pre-holiday results, the Thanksgiving, Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday retailer survey results, and the Shipping Deadlines results are all available to Shop.org members for reference. Please watch the general eHoliday information page for further updates.   

What do the surveys ask?
The retailer surveys consist of multiple-choice questions on topics such as holiday revenue forecasts, marketing campaigns and promotions, Web site features, gift cards, customer service, and fulfillment. Only aggregated results will be released, and no company-specific information will be released.

How can I access the eHoliday Study Results as those are released?
To access the results of the annual eHoliday surveys, you must either (1) be a current member of Shop.org, or (2) have participated in the current year (2011) retailer survey. We announce the results via the Shop.org blog, and Shop.org members can download the results from the Shop.org Web site - the 2011 pre-holiday results, the Thanksgiving, Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday retailer survey results, the Shipping Deadlines results, and the 2011 post-holiday consumer and retailer survey results are now available for download. Shop.org Members may also consult the 2011 Holiday Strategy & Planning Guide, which is based on benchmarks and lessons learned from the 2010 eHoliday Study.