Black Friday 2015 – The countdown has begun

Written by Eurostop

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Black FridaySales on ‘Black Friday’ last year reached elevated levels, and with all the hype surrounding the day, retailers need to make sure that they are prepared to meet demand and customer expectations. Eurostop takes a look at some of the key facts and figures, and what retailers can do to prepare for the 27th November.

UK facts ‘Black Friday’ 2014.

  1. Online sales increased by 91% per centOnline spending was 37.5 per cent higher than it was during Black Friday 2013, according to statistics from Barclaycard. .
  2. Online accounted for 21 per cent of total salesThe BRC said online sales of non-food products grew by 12 per cent in November compared to a year earlier. This led to the highest ever non-food online penetration rate on record, which stood at 21 per cent – or more than £1 in every £5 – in November.
  3. Consumers spent 18 per cent more this yearAccording to Barclaycard, consumers spent 18 per cent more than they did on the same day last year. Last year, it said, Black Friday spending was up 21 per cent, with online spending increasing by 41 per cent.

Here is a simple checklist to help retailers prepare for the rush and to make sure that they take full advantage of the increased traffic.

  1. Ensure that you have accurate stock visibilityMany retailers were caught out by not having adequate stock in stores. Make sure that your merchandise solution is prepared and that you have managed stock to be ready for sale.
  2. Update your website to accommodate mobileAccording to IBM over 59.8% of last seasons’ traffic came from mobile devices.
  3. Prepare your credit card terminals for increased trafficIf your store is still on a dial-up, consider a move to DSL/Broadband.
  4. Prepare your website for increased trafficMany retailers traded from midnight to maximise shopping times and put deals online overnight. Websites including John Lewis, Argos and Tesco Direct struggled to handle the increased traffic.
  5. Train store personel in crowd managementDuring ‘Black Friday’ police were called to a number of disturbances at London and Manchester supermarkets as shoppers fought over goods.
Eurostop

Editor at Eurostop Ltd

Eurostop Ltd provides omnichannel retail software and services to international retailers in the fashion, footwear and retail industries.

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