New data from analytics company Contentsquare reveals that the startling 91 percent of UK shoppers are highly unlikely to visit physical stories on the upcoming Black Friday.
The research, which surveyed over 1,000 UK shoppers found that over a third of shoppers will still be browsing for deals online, following news from US brands Walmart and Target which announced the closing of their physical stores on Thanksgiving.
Compared to last year’s Black Friday weekend online sales jump of 14 percent, Contentsquare is predicting a larger increase in digital purchases as shoppers stick to online shopping. The purchases for this year will be tracked via on-site e-commerce data hub by Contentsquare.
Jonathan Cherki, CEO at Contentsquare commented on the research: “Historically, Black Friday has been a brick and mortar affair, but in recent years we’ve seen huge increases in the number of consumers shopping for deals online.”
He added: “This year might mark the end of Black Friday as we know it, with many leading retailers promising to close their stores to keep the public safe. The recent acceleration of eCommerce means brands need to have access to experience analytics that empower them to quickly see and respond to changing shopping behaviour. With digital now a vastly increasing share of retail wallet, companies need to be able to troubleshoot issues fast and innovate more to maximize sales during peak periods.”
“While November 27 may seem a long way away, the best performing brands have already been putting insights from recent months into practice. Digital laggards have an unprecedented opportunity to close the growing gap this season but the window is rapidly closing — this will be the season to show up or shutter up. Rather than putting all of our efforts into one long weekend, we must look to create better online experiences year round. Brands that provide digital experiences that are just as good, or better, than in-store experiences will benefit from happier, more loyal customers and ultimately a boost in revenue online.”