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DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT BLACK FRIDAY ANYMORE?



In the last decade, Black Friday has increasingly become a staple of the UK retail calendar, with consumers scrambling to grab the best deals ahead of Christmas.

This year, however, Black Friday might look a bit different.

With the cost-of-living crisis looming large, and the UK economy ever falling, consumers this year are going to be spending less than ever in the run up to the Big Day. When combined with an abundance of deals from key brands earlier in the year - Amazon’s Prime day in July and Prime early access day in October – consumers are no longer limited to one day a year to get their Christmas bargains.

And spending aside, Black Friday just isn’t as culturally relevant in the UK as it is overseas. Just like Halloween, the pendulum of public opinion swings heavily between a cringe-inducing cash-driven American festival, or a key shopping moment pre-Christmas and a saviour for those looking for deals.

Using data from the online survey tool Global Web Index (GWI) we’ve taken a deep dive into this year’s Black Friday sentiments and developed the following insights to help brands prepare for the busiest shopping time of the year.
 
WHAT ARE PEOPLE BUYING THIS YEAR?

For most, Black Friday is a key opportunity for getting ahead with the Christmas shopping. 21% of UK internet users plan on buying gifts for others on Black Friday, with clothes (14.1%), personal care items (9.7%), leisure and entertainment items (8.9%) and personal electronics (8.4%) topping Christmas lists this year.

But when we look at these numbers with last year in mind, there’s a significant drop in pro-Black Friday sentiment. As many as 11.7% of UK consumers are saying that they’re planning on cutting back their Black Friday spending this year, and only 6.1% planning on spending more.

“21% of UK internet users plan on buying gifts for others on Black Friday”


WHEN AND WHERE ARE PEOPLE GOING TO SHOP THIS YEAR?

In terms of where people are planning on actually doing their shopping, Black Friday in the UK is an online event first and foremost. No fighting in the aisles for the British stiff upper lip.

31% intend to do their shopping with online retailers such as Amazon, just over 16% on brand websites and 10% from independent online retailers. In comparison only 10.8% of consumers intend to visit shopping centres or malls.

When it comes to online shopping, it’s no surprise that social media plays a key role in the lead up to Black Friday. 29% of consumers are set to use apps like TikTok and Instagram to plan their purchases, the majority of their research happening in the week prior to Black Friday – if you’re planning on amping up your discount messaging, this is the week to do it.

“29% of consumers are set to use apps like TikTok and Instagram to plan their purchases”


SO, DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT BLACK FRIDAY ANYMORE?

Well, yes and no. With more pressing things on the consumer’s mind this year and purses tightening all over the country, the odd discount on last year’s smartphone of choice might not be moving the needle very far. That said, careful, well thought out discounts and offers might just be what the average consumer needs to keep this festive season as merry and bright as possible.
WHAT DO BRANDS NEED TO TAKE AWAY PRIOR TO THIS YEAR’S BLACK FRIDAY MADNESS?

  1. UK consumers will be spending less at this year’s Black Friday– this means making your brand stand out against the competition is more important than ever. Consider working with influencers or leveraging culture to gain more talkability at this key retail moment.

  2. People are buying primarily for others and not themselves – focus on broad audience targeting and gifting messaging, remember your consumers who might not be your target demographic may be interested in purchasing your products for other people. Use retargeting to move people down the funnel once they’ve engaged with your content.

  3. Make your social audience feel like they’re getting more value from your comms – consider using exclusive discounts, early access to products or free shipping for orders originating from social channels.

  4. Black Friday is predominantly an online retail event – upweight your social spend to reach consumers while they’re in a shopping mindset. Make your products easy to buy using shoppable social formats and other tools to integrate ecommerce into social comms. Consider working with influencers and giving them unique discount codes or optimising social ads to drive traffic with strong creative and clear CTAs.

  5. Gain a greater understanding of what motivates your audience to purchase – are they waiting to buy expensive items at a discount or are they looking to buy several smaller items? Answering these questions ahead of time will help drive more relevance with your online audience and ensure your content performs better. At Communicator we call this understanding the Person Behind The Platform.



If you like what you’ve read and want to carry on this conversation, why not get in touch at hello@communicatorlondon.com


                                                                                    
    


                                                                                   
































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