Much like Halloween, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast becoming a global phenomenon. In the UK, for example, Google data shows that many searches relating to Black Friday deals were up by over 100% when compared to the same search interest in 2018.
Customer Behaviour:
FNB says spending on the “big discount day” increased by 19% year on year at its speed points. The bank’s cardholders made purchases of about R2. 5-billion on Black Friday, an increase of 15% compared with 2020. Standard Bank also saw similar transaction patterns on its systems.
Historically, searches for Black Friday deals started at the beginning of November, however in 2021 many retailers extended their discounts and promotions to last the entire month of November — dubbing it “Black November” — but this had slightly reduced the novelty of Black Friday.
With consumers likely suffering from ecommerce fatigue, as well as a general lack of must-buy deals, along with potentially less income as a result of the pandemic; Black Friday in 2021 was not like it used to be.
Audiences:
Women are slightly more likely than men to partake in the shopping event, with 29% of women saying they plan to make a purchase compared to 27% of men.
People between ages 35 and 44 are the most likely to partake in the event, with 34% in this age group saying they will shop the sales. Meanwhile, just 24% of those ages 25 to 34 and 65 and older say the same.
Tips:
For Black Friday, audiences are much what you might expect. Tech enthusiasts and bargain hunters are especially active during this time. What you might consider is using retargeting to make sure you interact with customers who previously visited your site.