Are you ready for Black Friday 2018?
If Black Friday proves anything, it’s that we’re never too tired to shop. These days, over a hundred million of us brave the Black Friday retail scene in person, and even more of us shop online.
Black Friday has seen a 17.9% year-over-year increase, a drastically different headline to the declining stats we are accustomed to seeing, from high street brands in particular. So what does this mean for ecommerce retailers?
It almost goes without saying, but preparation is key! A bad customer experience can still tarnish any company’s reputation, even if it’s on the busiest shopping day of the year. In 2017, a whopping £1.4bn was spent in the UK on Black Friday online sales. With the consistent year-over-year increase in sales, it’s safe to assume we can expect another day of epic spending in 2018.
Market trends show that, unsurprisingly, the most popular purchases were tech and electronic items. Television sets, laptops, tech gadgets and household appliances topped the list in 2017. However – lower end purchases are still deemed popular too, with many fashion retailers cashing in on the trend with successful results. A focus on customer service on Black Friday can help convert a black Friday shopper to a regular customer, increasing year-round revenue.
Given the online nature of Black Friday, 3PL companies can prepare by anticipating a huge surge in deliveries and subsequent returns. Staffing, storage and logistics all need to be considered. Black Friday is a key day for retailers in demonstrating excellent customer service, and also for many first-time customers in deciding whether or not they would use those retailers again. Therefore, it’s crucial that 3PL companies get it right. We already know that customers part with a lot of money (last year £1.4bn) and are eagerly expecting their purchases to arrive safe and sound. Hence, this is the time for 3PL companies to shine and provide exemplary service to the retailer and their end customers.
With only seven weeks to go until Black Friday 2018, now is the time to prepare!