In today’s InternetRetailing newsletter, we’re reporting in the wake of Singles Day and as Black Friday approaches. Alibaba says goods worth £14bn change hands during its Singles Day shopping event, 32% more than a year ago. Does that signal ever-rising sales on Black Friday?
A study from the Royal Mail suggests those who are already interested in Black Friday will be keen to shop, while a survey from One Hour Translation suggests 27% of UK shoppers will buy on the day. Further analysis from Hitwise suggests shoppers will be staying up late in order to get their bargains. That all suggests significant interest, but this year retailers will be weighing that against whether those sales come at too high a cost. An LCP Consulting study suggests that 61% of UK retailers now believe that Black Friday is both unprofitable and unsustainable.
Whatever retailers decide, if customers want to buy on Black Friday the chances are that traders will see high levels of traffic on the day, and today’s guest comment comes from Mark Denton of Aptos Retail who considers how retailers can best manage peak trading across channels.
Today we also report as Shop Direct announces a new London hub, the next step in its ambition of becoming a world-class digital retailer.
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