THE AFTERMATH

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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 importantrole in shopping activity. Black Friday saw traffic fromdesktop and mobile up 52 per cent on the previousyear, and up 81 per cent in the four days leading up toBlack Friday. This was driven in part by a strongshowing from mobile devices: 73 per cent of shoppingsearches on these days were conducted on mobiledevices, demonstrating the importance of a seamlessomnichannel experience for browsers and shoppers.

Across the pond, reports highlight that mobile isbecoming an integral part of the Black Friday shoppingexperience. Upwards of $1bn was spent via mobiledevices on Black Friday itself, up by a third on theprevious year and the first day in U.S. history thatmobile 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) emphasisingthe 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.