Salesforce: Brace Yourselves For Black Friday
Is it too early to start thinking about holiday shopping season? Some enterprising stores have already jumped the gun and got the holiday decorations up, much to the chagrin of at least some shoppers out there. Word from Salesforce, however, projects that the early start may be a good plan, as mobile traffic will be a major part of the picture, accounting for 60 percent of total traffic to retailers’ websites.
Salesforce also predicted that those intending to use mobile devices on Black Friday may want to reconsider such plans, as it will be the busiest digital shopping day the United States has ever seen. That alone is a big deal, but throw in the overall increased levels of mobile with a rising demand for new services, that’s putting a pretty heavy onus on retailers’ mobile capability.
The new reports suggest that 58 percent of customers want personalized in-store service, while 60 percent put a higher value on relevant product recommendations. Forty percent of millennials are even turning to voice-enabled digital assistants to make pricing comparisons and research products in general.
Those wondering how Black Friday gained against Cyber Monday for online shopping will note that Cyber Monday will likewise see some big discounts afoot—reaching an average of about 28 percent of list price—and also plenty of free shipping. Those not offering free shipping will be at a disadvantage as 86 percent of orders will come with it, on average.
If this isn’t a call to action for retailers to ramp up their mobile experience then nothing short of nailing up the “Going Out of Business” sale sign will do the job. Mobile was likely to be a big part of holiday shopping ever since eBay got together with Bliss Spa locations back in 2012 to offer shoppers a way to not only do their Black Friday shopping run, but also enjoy some massages and pampering in the process. Fast forward five years and it’s now the lion’s share of online shopping.
This shows not only how accessible and popular it is, but how absolutely necessary it is to be ready here. Those who drop the ball on this front will likely pay for it with a sock in the bottom line.