In today’s InternetRetailing newsletter we make no apology for leading with Black Friday. Even though, two surveys out today suggest, almost half of shoppers and four in five retailers have no plans for Black Friday, retailers still believe, according to a Royal Mail study, that 45% of their Christmas sales will nonetheless take place that day. That’s got to make it a day worth watching, for those taking part, and for those preferring to stay on the slidelines. Whether the date continues to stay relevant is down, at least in part, to those taking part and how they inspire shoppers that the discounts are worth buying into. Equally, many no doubt feel that Black Friday cannibalises December full-price sales, and that opting out of the event is a very real option for their businesses.
In a second Cyber Week story we also report on how UK retailers are marking the week by taking part in the annual #givingtuesday event.
Our guest comment comes from Lindsay McEwan of Tealium who has advice for marketing staff preparing their plans ahead Christmas code freezes.
Today we also report as the British Museum starts selling in China, both online and offline, as Majestic Wine launches next-day and named delivery in the next step of its transformation plans, and on Amazon third-quarter figures, which show sales up by 29% on last year.
Our webinars
Our next webinar is in November, when Michael Langguth, co-founder of app developer Poq, will be addressing the business case for mobile apps in retail, using case study examples from retailers including Missguided and House of Fraser. Learn how apps can drive your retail business is on November 9 at 2pm. To find out more and to register for the free event visit the Poq webinar page.
Click to visit the Internet Retailing webinars page to catch up on the latest webinars, which are also available to view again on the IRTV channel.
