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Black Friday has come and gone, with extensive campaigns from retailers across channels and sectors.
As predicted, the event’s gradual expansion from a one day event to approximately one week long has delivered
consistently high levels of footfall and traffic, conversions and spend from customers. We made a number of
predictions in our blog earlier this month, with spend predicted to increase and a number of retailers – such as the
evergreen John Lewis – set to outperform their peers.
It comes as no surprise then that huge sums were spent at retailers during this period: estimates of up to £6.5bn
during the week of Monday 21st November to Monday 28th November. Importantly, an estimated £1.23bn was spent
on Black Friday alone by online shoppers, underlining the real shift that this event has delivered when it comes to
shopping habits in the U.K.
Mobile devices are playing an increasingly important
role in shopping activity. Black Friday saw traffic from
desktop and mobile up 52 per cent on the previous
year, and up 81 per cent in the four days leading up to
Black Friday. This was driven in part by a strong
showing from mobile devices: 73 per cent of shopping
searches on these days were conducted on mobile
devices, demonstrating the importance of a seamless
omnichannel experience for browsers and shoppers.
Across the pond, reports highlight that mobile is
becoming an integral part of the Black Friday shopping
experience. Upwards of $1bn was spent via mobile
devices on Black Friday itself, up by a third on the
previous year and the first day in U.S. history that
mobile sales topped the $1bn mark.
Leading retailer John Lewis reported a rise of 6.5 per cent
on last year’s sales for the same weekly period (Monday
21st November – Monday 28th November) emphasising
the retailer’s increasing skill at making the most of the
Black Friday period through targeted campaigns.
Significantly, John Lewis states that Friday 25th
November represents their biggest ever day of trading, a
remarkable achievement given the relatively recent
switch to mark the occasion in the U.K.
The crucial Xmas shopping period is now
underway, so thoughts of Black Friday will take a
back seat until the New Year. Once the numbers
are examined, Black Friday 2016 data will allow
retailers to know a lot more about the kind of
behaviours to expect from consumers to make the
most of next year’s event. For more information
on how to make the most of your retail estate,
contact us today at 01625 569 200.
Elsewhere, footfall at some retail parks did not hit
the heights anticipated. It is clear that more data is
needed for retailers to capture the buying habits of
consumers, particularly as Black Friday is such a
recent import to the U.K. Expectations need to be
set by retailers, while consumers increasingly take
advantage of Omni channel shopping. Deals spread
out across the week prior to Cyber Monday deliver
consistent sales, rather than concerted peaks of
footfall.