As the holiday season approaches, UK businesses are hoping to benefit from the annual online shopping bonanza. With cost-of-living pressures and inflation on the rise, what can savvy shoppers expect from Black Friday?
According to new data from Esendex, 78% of consumers are holding off on spending up to a month before Black Friday in order to take advantage of the discounts available. Furthermore, half of shoppers want to hear about the sales up to two weeks in advance, while 28% would prefer to be informed a month ahead.
Chris Gorman, Head of Professional Services at Esendex commented, “Our data shows that UK shoppers are looking for personalised marketing – with SMS text and email coming top of the list and WhatsApp becoming increasingly popular. Considering 48% of people are on their phone between four and eight hours a day, and seven in ten check their messages within five minutes, SMS and WhatsApp are two of the quickest ways to engage customers.”
Ecommerce has allowed small businesses to level the playing field, giving them access to a larger audience and improved brand credibility. However, with UK consumers exposed to a daily bombardment of up to 10,000 ads, retailers need to make sure their online presence is optimised for mobile and has a smooth user experience.
Interestingly, those that shop on four or more platforms tend to spend 9% more with a business than single channel shoppers. Nevertheless, it is not all about discounts, as shoppers are now more conscious of supporting small businesses and their local communities. Smaller retailers may not be able to match the discounts of larger retailers, but can still win customers through convenience and customer experience.
As Black Friday approaches, UK businesses should be aware of the expectations of their customers in order to make the most of the peak season.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.