Following a heated Black Friday, Christmas is approaching and remains one of the most anticipated periods for online retail, responsible for driving sales in the last quarter. To illustrate its importance, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Artificial Intelligence and E-commerce (Abiacom), the sector is expected to generate R$ 26.82 billion during this period, representing a growth of 14.95% compared to 2024.
However, along with the increase in order volume, challenges also grow, especially for sellers who do not adequately prepare for the high demand.
For Rodrigo Garcia, CEO of Petina Digital Solutions—a startup specialized in marketplace sales management—Christmas is simultaneously a “golden opportunity” and a maturity test for those selling on marketplaces. “It is essential to be ready for the increase in traffic, logistics, and efficient customer service; otherwise, you risk turning the best period of the year into a ‘shot in the foot.’ With more demanding consumers and intense competition, it is necessary to avoid operational and strategic errors, and today AI has become a powerful ally to optimize every step of the operation,” he evaluates.
With this in mind, Garcia listed the 5 most compromising mistakes during the Christmas season on marketplaces and how AI can prevent them:
1. Neglecting inventory preparation
Incorrect demand calculation remains one of the most frequent slip-ups. Lack of products or delivery delays not only frustrate customers but also harm the store's reputation.
“AI-based demand forecasting systems analyze sales history, seasonality, market trends, and even competitor movements to generate much more accurate projections. AI also identifies imminent stockouts and suggests automatic adjustments with suppliers,” indicates the expert.
“If planning inventory months in advance has always been essential, today AI allows for predicting demand peaks with much greater assertiveness,” adds Garcia.
2. Ignoring ad quality
Poor photos, incomplete descriptions, and generic titles reduce conversion rates and harm ranking in marketplace algorithms.
AI tools optimize titles and descriptions automatically, suggest the most searched keywords, and even assess image quality, indicating adjustments to increase attractiveness.
“Marketplaces function like search engines. Complete and attractive ads, now easily enhanced by AI, significantly increase visibility,” highlights Garcia.
3. Failing in communication and customer service
Generic messages, high response times, and lack of personalization harm the shopping experience.
Intelligent chatbots and AI-powered CRMs understand queries, prioritize messages, respond automatically with context, and personalize communication according to the consumer's profile. Furthermore, AI systems can predict complaints and anticipate solutions.
“During high-volume periods, responding quickly makes all the difference. AI maintains closeness with the customer without compromising efficiency,” advises the CEO.
4. Underestimating the importance of post-sales
Focusing only on conversion and forgetting post-purchase experience follow-up compromises customer loyalty.
AI automates follow-up messages, identifies potential delivery issues before the customer complains, and suggests personalized offers for repurchase. It also analyzes sentiment in reviews to detect patterns of dissatisfaction.
“Post-sales is the cradle of loyalty, and AI enables this to happen in a scalable and intelligent way,” states Garcia.
5. Making mistakes in order cancellations
The increase in cancellations due to fraud, registration inconsistencies, payment failures, or internal issues harms reputation and competitiveness indicators.
AI-based antifraud tools validate customer information in seconds. Intelligent internal systems identify stock failures, picking delays, and other cancellation triggers before the order is affected. AI also recommends preventive actions to reduce losses.
“Every canceled order affects revenue and reputation. AI helps minimize internal errors and prevents sales from being lost needlessly,” explains Garcia.
Avoiding these mistakes is essential to ensure a Christmas of strong sales and satisfied customers. “In a scenario where every click counts, attention to detail, now enhanced by Artificial Intelligence, is what differentiates an abandoned cart from a successful sale. Those who prepare in advance and use the right tools reap the best results,” he concludes.
