For those who think Christmas has lost relevance because of Black Friday, the numbers show otherwise. According to data from Ebit | Nielsen, there were more than 5 million orders, R$2.54 billion in revenue, and an average ticket of R$475. This period accounted for 10% of all e-commerce revenue in 2018!
What has changed is consumer behavior, as people now see Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas as one unified sales season. This scenario is perfect for retailers to map out new strategies for year-end sales.
Black Friday and Christmas
With this shift in behavior, it's increasingly common for consumers to get a head start on their Christmas shopping during Black Friday, as shown by research from Social Miner:
More than half of consumers took advantage of previous Black Friday editions to get a head start on Christmas shopping.
The consumers who answered the question above also shared whether they planned to make new purchases at Christmas:
More than 70% of people who used Black Friday to get a head start on year-end shopping plan to buy again at Christmas.
The difference in consumption patterns between the two dates
Christmas and Black Friday have different consumption patterns. During the big November sale, appliances, furniture, electronics, and personal care items are the top sellers. At Christmas, though, the central theme is giving gifts to others. The most sought-after categories for December 25th are:
- Accessories;
- Food and beverages;
- Beauty;
- Toys;
- Fashion;
Family members come first, followed by spouses and friends. Additionally, a significant portion of consumers plan to use Christmas as an opportunity to treat themselves.
Promotion strategies to sell more
Competitive pricing, a variety of payment methods, a responsive website, and quality customer service are essential features for any online store. But you need to go further. Anyone who wants to sell online needs promotion strategies. If customers don't know your business exists, offering them great deals won't help, right? Check out four tips we've put together for you:
- Social Media
O Facebook e o Instagram já mostraram sua eficiência na conversão de clientes, mas você pode cogitar a possibilidade de explorar novas redes — desde que elas façam sentido para o seu negócio, é claro.
LinkedIn: can be a great ally for niche B2B e-commerces. For an office furniture store, it could be an excellent sales channel.
Pinterest: more than 300 million users are present on this network, and it has proven capable of driving more traffic to Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Another interesting fact: 90% of users use Pinterest to make purchasing decisions. Fashion, beauty, cosmetics, decor, architecture, travel, and food are the most popular categories on the platform.
WhatsApp: despite being a messaging service, the app has taken on a significant role in the company-customer relationship. According to Opinion Box, 68% of people use WhatsApp to talk with brands and 50% agree it's a suitable channel for buying products and services.
- Email Marketing
É a estratégia com o maior ROI (Return on Investment) do mercado e, por isso, mais de 70% das empresas brasileiras o adotam como estratégia. Ou seja, o e-mail marketing converte. Fica a dica: Os leads conquistados durante a Black Friday podem ser alimentados também no Natal com e-mails promocionais.
- Remarketing
This strategy involves working to re-engage people who are already interested in your brand — someone who abandoned a cart, for example. A remarketing strategy could be sending that customer an email inviting them to complete the purchase.
- Retargeting
Tools like Facebook Ads and Google Ads let you create ads based on your website visitors' previous behavior. This greatly boosts your conversions, since you're showing ads to people who are already interested in your product.
A modern take on Secret Santa
Secret Santa is hugely popular at year-end, whether you like it or not. And now there are websites to run the drawing, 100% online, no little slips of paper needed.
Para os lojistas, aqui a possibilidade é anunciar produtos na vitrine de presentes do site. Assim, os usuários que estiverem procurando opções de presente poderão visualizar os produtos da sua loja virtual.
Express delivery
According to research data from Social Miner, more than 30% of consumers plan to start researching their purchases for the date 15 days in advance — a tight window for anyone selling online. That's why it's so important to offer a variety of delivery timeframes. Offering pricier but faster shipping can help you hook these consumers.
In another study by PwC, 64% of people said they would pay more for shipping if delivery were faster. Think about it: to guarantee a gift for a special someone, wouldn't you pay a little extra for shipping? Taking this detail into account can increase your conversions and prevent drop-offs due to delivery times.
The click & collect model (buy online and pick up in a physical store) has been growing more and more here in Brazil, and it was an expected and widely adopted behavior during this year's Black Friday, as we discussed here.
If it's feasible for your business, adopting this strategy is worthwhile. It can be useful for attracting customers from your own city, for example, while also eliminating your shipping workload.
Want to learn more market news and get to know us a little better? Just keep an eye on our blog. ?
