Black Friday: is your webshop ready?
Make the most of your business with Black Friday and boost your sales.
The biggest shopping craze of the year is just around the corner: Black Friday. Earlier we wrote about the impact and the pressure of the peak period, but next Friday it will only be really sweating. The whole of (e-) commerce lands on Friday, November 29 with bizarre promotions and high discounts and see the number of orders in their shop increase drastically. Not only for bargain hunters, but for all consumers, Black Friday is a hit when it comes to scoring products with crazy offers. They therefore love to postpone their purchases to take advantage of this well-known discount phenomenon. But where exactly does this enormous popularity come from? And do we Dutch know who are the instigators of this enormous shopping rush?
A look back in time
Black Friday is considered to be the start of the season for Christmas purchases. The name originates Black Friday from the American city of Philadelphia where it was first used by the police in the 50s to refer to the enormous traffic in and around the city on the day after Thanksgiving. Yet this was not enough, it was only in the 80s that the term 'Black Friday' hit like a bomb and has it stuck. Around 1981, an alternative theory was unleashed, arguing that on Black Friday, retailers were for the first time 'in the black', which means they started to make a profit. From that time on, Black Friday was seen as the best way to get out of the red and finally generate a profit.
The impact
It has now become a true concept all over the world. The impact is increasing drastically every year and although it was originally one day, an entire week has now been added. from Black Friday statistics of 2019 all over the world it appears that the Netherlands ranks 10th in active search volume and has even increased by 600% since 2014. That is quite a pat on the back for our little frog country! Brazil, France and Germany claim the top 3, with America itself only finishing in fourth place. Walmart was the first to break the 'tradition' in 2011 by making its offers available the day before Black Friday. As a result, all other retailers could of course not stay behind and immediately grabbed 'the bull by the horns'. That had such a big impact that they now even label Thanksgiving as 'Gray-Thursday'.
Black Friday in e-commerce country more popular than ever
The popularity and impact of Black Friday in e-commerce country is growing steadily. The American discount phenomenon enjoys a reputation of no less than 80% among Dutch consumers. When we compare last year's figures with the previous year, the number of online sales has increased by no less than 14%. The purchases in the physical stores are actually decreasing, which is not surprising at all. Because why would you as a consumer browse countless shops and fight for your favorite Christmas presents if you can also simply order it online from your couch or sofa? The same discounts, direct overview and supply within reach and no chaos from fellow shoppers. Still in doubt? Watch the video below!
From a recent representative study by research agency Markteffect Commissioned by men's fashion chain Only for Men, it appears that of the 1005 Dutch respondents, no less than 57% are considering whether they actually postpone their purchases with a view to Black Friday. The most popular product categories among consumers are fashion, shoes and jewelry (36%) and computers and electronics (24%). On average, people expect to spend € 197,00 during Black Friday. Definitely not bad!
Boost your sales
Not only Black Friday is a day to block with cow letters in your agenda, but also the online successor called Cyber Monday is definitely worth noting. Cyber Monday is the online successor to Black Friday and together can be described as the bargain weekend of the year. Major players in e-commerce such as Media Markt, Wehkamp, Zalando, Coolblue, Bol.com and more have been hitching a ride on this successful formula for years. By hooking up to these stunt days as a webshop, this is guaranteed to give your sales a huge boost.
Call in our support and enjoy the greatest benefits
According to Forbes, Black Friday is number 1 when it comes to busiest shopping days. But quite a few other 'extra bargain days' will follow in the coming period. In the Netherlands we even have to add Sinterklaas: enough work to be done! It is certainly not too late to improve your shipping process for both you and your customers. In fact, there is no better time to give your webshop a gift full of convenience, extra benefits and turnover. Sign up quickly and send your first package with Wuunder today.
