With Black Friday on the horizon, we're gearing up for the final sprint of the year – the high-stakes "Peak Season." It's prime time for merchants, as the holiday shopping frenzy kicks into high gear. This is the season of big spends and even bigger sales. Shoppers are on the prowl for deals, and for merchants, it's showtime to dazzle and outshine the competition. It's all about claiming your share of the holiday revenue jackpot.
In this blog post, you'll learn about:
The most important days of the peak season in ecommerce
So that you can be fully prepared, we’ll introduce the most important days of the 2024 peak season for you in chronological order.
BFCM: Black Friday and Cyber Monday on 29 November and 2 December
Black Friday originated in America and always occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving. This day thus falls on the fourth Friday in November each time, so this year it is on 29 November. Black Friday is therefore always a bridging day in the USA too and is typically used to encourage the first wave of Christmas shopping. Merchants have reinforced this behavior by offering temptation with greatly reduced offers.
There are different theories on where the name Black Friday came from. For example, perhaps because the record sales on the day after Thanksgiving ensure that the merchants’ hands are black from counting money. But also Black Friday, which is perhaps the best day of the year for sales, offers merchants the chance to move out of the red and to finally go into the black after all their investments. The term was also around in the 1960s – and in fact, was used by the police. It is assumed that they used the term because on the days after Thanksgiving, there were typically large groups of people bustling about in and around the shops, on the pavements, and in the streets and they looked like a black mass from the distance.
But it is not only the Friday after Thanksgiving which has been given a name. The Monday following the Black Friday weekend has been known as Cyber Monday for several years now. Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined are also increasingly being abbreviated as BFCM.
Originally, Black Friday was established as an event for bricks and mortar trade, which is why Cyber Monday was considered to be the digital equivalent with the focus on ecommerce. It goes without saying that these boundaries became blurred with the growing popularity of online shopping. So it is no wonder that many merchants have decided to offer discount promotions over a longer period. For example, one or two have Black Week(s) or even a Black Month, which extends throughout the whole of November.
In comparison with Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, Black Friday is still the most popular shopping day, however. This is also demonstrated by a survey in the USA [2] on the topic.
Holiday season retail ecommerce revenue in the United States from 2023 to 2024, by online shopping day (in billion U.S. dollars)
It is therefore worth preparing attractive offers for potential customers.
Holiday shopping in December
While Black Friday is often seen as the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, it doesn't mean the shopping spree slows down afterwards. According to a 2022 survey by Statista, some respondents also engage in holiday shopping during December. Therefore, it's wise to continue attracting customers with deals and campaigns during this period. In the U.S., prime shopping opportunities include events like Cyber Monday and Green Monday. The season typically wraps up with last-minute shopping just before Christmas Day, which falls on a Wednesday this year.
Last-minute checks to prepare for Peak Season
Time's ticking down to the holiday shopping blitz. Did you cover all your bases? Check out the following tips; you might think of a last-minute, effective measure that's still worth putting into action.
Plan products and discounts in a clever way
Whether it is Black Friday, Cyber Monday or St. Nicholas Day: consider carefully which products and discounts are particularly attractive for which promotional days. Would you like to offer individual products, certain categories or your whole range at a reduced price? There is also the opportunity to create your own shop category for the promotional period, in which all offers are clearly presented to customers. What do you want your discount campaigns to actually look like? Here are a few examples of exciting promotions:
Fixed or percentage discounts on the entire purchase
Giving away a free item if the purchase is above a minimum value
Your customer receives a discount when purchasing a second item
Your customer buys three items for the price of two
Of course, you can offer discounts of different amounts on your products. Are there products that will soon no longer be current or which have to be sold for other reasons? Then you should offer particularly generous discounts on them to increase sales. It may also prove to be particularly sensible to set an offer to lure customers in, that is, a product which is particularly appealing due to the discount. Promoting this offer will bring a large number of customers to your online store. They will then discover other products alongside this which will ideally land in their shopping basket.
Advertising pays off
After you have established which products you wish to offer in the peak season sale, you should think about suitable advertising. Which marketing channels would you like to use? It is vital to plan a budget for paid advertising to win new customers. In the following, we list suitable marketing channels which should be considered for advertising your Peak Season promotion, for example for a Black Week:
Social media
Use your reach on social media channels and draw your followers’ attention to your Black Weekend sale, for example.
SEO traffic
It can be worth using organic search a few weeks in advance to make people aware of your campaign. For example, create a specific Black Friday landing page in good time and add the relevant images, texts, and keywords so that you will be found in search results. If you have integrated a blog or magazine into your online store you can use it to publish relevant articles.
SEA campaigns
Push your campaign with paid advertising! It can be worth allocating a small budget in order to generate more traffic. For example, you could use adverts on Google or paid advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and the like. But watch out: adverts can be more expensive for certain keywords and target audiences during promotional periods.
Email marketing
Use email marketing to keep your existing customers informed of your Peak Season promotions. Prepare relevant promotional newsletters in good time and provide your customers with a number of teasers for your sale. For example, you could draw attention to your promotion four weeks before it starts and then refer to it again at weekly intervals, giving more insights and arousing curiosity when doing so.
Retargeting
Retargeting is a measure that you should take into account when planning your campaigns for the various channels. In this way, it is not only those who have abandoned their purchase who can be won back. You can also encourage one-off purchasers to take a look at your web store again. It is best to plan a budget for valuable retargeting from the outset.
Generating visibility via other portals and sales channels
It is best to make the most of channels which have achieved the greatest success with your target group up to now. However, it may also be worth trying out something new. With the Peak Season just ahead, it might be worthwhile offering your products on other channels and portals too, thereby ensuring more conversions – whether it is on new sales channels (such as eBay, Amazon, etc.), via social shopping (for example, for Instagram) or on comparison portals. Learn here how to connect new sales channels with Shopware or read here to find out how you can sell on marketplaces like Amazon using Shopware Multichannel Connect.
Besides price comparison sites etc., it also offers placements on gift idea sites, particularly in the period before Christmas. It may be worthwhile researching a little, contacting website operators and placing your products here which are particularly suitable as gifts. Where appropriate, influencer marketing may also be a sensible measure for you to draw attention to your most original products.
Individuality and originality are required
As soon as you have decided on your marketing channels, set about preparing the banners and texts you need for these channels. Establish a design for your promotion and consider which banner language and texts will most appeal to your target audience. Try to stand out from your competitors here, for you are far from the only merchant trying to tempt consumers to your online store with attractive offers in the Peak Season. You may also want to think about creative or attractive packaging, inserts or add-ons to appeal to your customers in the long term when they receive their order. In this way you not only increase the probability of another order but also the recommendation rate.
Prepare your online store
It is not only important to draw attention to your Peak Season promotions. It is just as important to convert your store visitors to customers. To do this successfully you should consider the following points:
Rule Builder for automated campaigns
Plan your actions in advance and play them out automatically. This gives you the free resources you need in the peak phases for the expected additional work in the areas of service and shipping. The Rule Builder in Shopware is the perfect basis for this. With this powerful marketing tool, you can set different prices for specific days and times, set free items above a particular purchase value, and much more. Further information, application examples, and instructions can be found in the article on Rule Builder for Shopping Experiences.
User experience
If it is about cranking up the conversion in your store when it comes to Black Friday etc., the focus should primarily be on the user experience. Make sure your shop customers are aware of discounts by using striking banners, strikethrough pricing, promotional campaigns or a countdown. A specially designed Shopping Experience page for the Black Friday sale, which is listed in your main navigation, can help here. You can also read about other general tips in the blog Principles of conversion optimization.
Highlight category and Shopping Experience
So that your customer can quickly access all offers, it is worth creating your own highlight categories to ensure clarity. At the same time, setting up your own Shopping Experiences for sales promotions offers visual reinforcement. If necessary, look for support here from your Shopware partner to have modifications carried out. As already mentioned, many use the Black Weekend sale to make Christmas purchases. Accordingly, it is worthwhile to prepare your shop visually for Christmas or to provide inspiration for Christmas gifts in the form of Shopping Experience pages.
Optimize the checkout process
Fewer clicks to online payment, transparency regarding shipping/additional costs, and flexible payment methods are three aspects that ensure a smooth checkout process and result in fewer shopping cart abandonments. Perhaps you might want to make some adjustments here or integrate a new payment provider?
Offer payment in installments
Shopping baskets tend to be fuller in the peak season. According to the Statista study of last year, it was expected that 26 % wanted to spend 500-1,000 U.S. dollars [3] during holiday season via ecommerce shopping. Consider offering payment by installments or "pay later" options if you do not currently do so.
Expected spending on the holiday season in the U.S. 2024, by generation
Performance check – can your online store withstand the increase in traffic?
There is barely anything more annoying for your customers than long loading times or a shop website that they can’t even access. Many customers research the various discounts available online well in advance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday in order to obtain the best price. In any case, you should expect an increased number of visitors to your shop on these peak days. Such a high traffic volume can affect loading times, order notifications or updating of the stock.
Which hosting scenario applies to your store? Is your shop running on the cloud or is it self-hosted? If it's the latter, it's best to talk to your hosting partner to ensure everything runs smoothly performance-wise. In general, you'll feel more secure if a developer or Shopware partner is on standby to assist you in case of an emergency and can quickly help with technical issues.
Fulfillment and service
Customers are becoming more demanding when it comes to shipping and service. Besides this, they appreciate transparency with regard to return guidelines and shipping costs. Ensure that these are made clear and are communicated in a comprehensible way. We recommend offering different shipping options to meet various customer requirements. Make sure that you can keep to what you promise. Be sure that your shipping providers can adhere to the delivery dates. It is also advisable to take out additional shipping insurance.
As there are usually increased customer queries and return processes in the Peak Season, we recommend hiring more service employees. Live chat or an (AI-driven) chatbot can decrease the pressure and provide better service here. Your customers receive assistance quickly and straightforwardly, without having to pick up the phone or wait for an email response.
Black Friday – what comes After? Strategies to turn sale days into long-term wins!
Custobar's research indicates that a whopping 79% of online shoppers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday are hit-and-run buyers, rarely returning after their one-off spree. This is a golden chance slipping through your fingers because the true jackpot from your Black Friday efforts is converting those shoppers into loyal, repeat customers.
Ever considered subscriptions?
Your sale days might just spotlight products that are staples in your customers' lives. From that tea they sip daily, to the body lotion they swear by, or the gourmet coffee they can't start their day without – some items are just perpetual must-haves. Here's a pro tip: roll out these products as part of a subscription model, and toss in a discount to sweeten the pot. That's how you lock in a clientele that'll keep coming back for the convenience and the quality.
Craving more strategies to keep the Black Friday momentum going? Grab our free whitepaper Beyond Black Friday: Strategies to benefit long-term from your promotional events.
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/364543/alibaba-singles-day-1111-gmv/
[3] https://www.statista.com/study/11860/us-holiday-season-e-commerce-statista-dossier/
[5] https://www.statista.com/study/11860/us-holiday-season-e-commerce-statista-dossier/
