Black Friday has well and truly established itself as a consumer phenomenon unlike any other. With UK sales in 2018 topping £1.2 billion on the day, the whole period from the run-up to November 29 through to this year's Cyber Monday on December 2nd could be set to steal a march even on the Christmas sales.
The event now encompasses all areas of retail and there are rewards to be had for savvy customers and vendors alike. Most people will be shopping online. For both e-traders and bricks and mortar businesses with an online presence, Black Friday offers the chance to target new and existing customers with genuine good deals on desirable products.
At Puckator we're ready to help you be ready for Black Friday: We want to pass our best bargains onto our customers, so they can pass them onto theirs. Check out our current sale with 20% off Christmas lines until the 30th of November.
To help you make the most of the upcoming event, we've extended free standard delivery until November 30, and same-day delivery is available before 11 am should you need. The customer services team is here to guide you calmly through what can be quite a frenzied period.
So as a trader, how can you make sure you're prepared to make the most of Black Friday? There are lots of things to remember, but here are some of the top few we'd mention:
- Learn from last year: from the larger retailers to sole traders the essential questions are the same - What sorts of products flew out of the door and when were your peak selling times? What are the current and new trends in your area?
- Test the capacity and speed of your website to prepare for the busiest demand using a performance (load) testing tool. Your capacity on the ground needs to hold up too - Do you need any extra pairs of hands to be able to fulfil orders efficiently?
- The majority of online sales will be made via mobile device – is your website optimised for mobile?
- Offer a variety of payment methods to ensure a smooth experience for customers and avoid abandonment – and ensure your payment interface is secure.
- Do your marketing early and often: with less than three weeks to go, promotional newsletters, emails and social media alerts should already be underway. Tease your best offers, think about how you might bundle products to maximise sales and consider including a clock timer or stock countdowns on your website and social media.
If you have any questions on how to maximise Black Friday potential in your giftware offer, leave a comment below for one of the Puckator team and watch out for our own Black Friday offers coming soon.
