Although it is really about brick-and-mortar retailers who were supposed to be enjoying the crowds fighting for deals, this year, Black Friday turned out to be a hit for online retailers. Many brick-and-mortar stores opened on Thanksgiving with the expectation to increase their sales. Unfortunately, it seems like this strategy did not work in their favor. Based on National Retail Federation their Black Friday sales decreased 13.2 percent from last year.
On the other hand, Black Friday online sales set new records. IBM’s 2013 Holiday Benchmark Report shows that online sales on Black Friday increased 19 percent over 2012. Shoppers who did not go to physical stores on Thanksgiving Day, boosted online sales almost by 20 percent over last year.
Another side of the story is about mobile sales. IBM’s data shows that mobile sales on Black Friday, which includes smart phones and tablets, has increased more than 40 percent over the same day in 2012.
The purpose of this article is not to list percentages and numbers about Black Friday Online Sales. There are so many other resources you can check, if you are really into statistics. You can find a list of articles I looked up at the end of this article. I am sure you know how to Google, if you want more. What I really want to point out here is how these statistics can give some direction in determining your online strategy as a small business.
This year’s Black Friday Online Sales statistics show that there are two main areas you should invest in for your online presence in 2014; e-commerce and mobile. Consumers are buying online and they use their mobile devices for online shopping.
If you are a retailer and still do not sell online, one of your new year’s resolutions should be to set up your online shop to reach the growing online consumer population. When doing so, you should make sure that your shop functions well on mobile devices, such as tablets and smart phones. If you already have a website or online store running for a while, you should take action to ensure that mobile users can use your site without any problem.
Don’t put off these projects because of budget constraints. There are various ways to sell online and create mobile compatible sites cost effectively. You will not find these solutions in this article, but we will write about them here at WiseClicker.com. So, stick around. You can also contact us if you have any specific questions.
Articles Related to Black Friday Online Sales
- Why Nobody Wants to Shop at the Mall Anymore
- Ecommerce Strong on Black Friday, Cyber Monday
- Record-Breaking Black Friday Online Spending Up 19 Percent; Mobile Sales Surge 43 Percent
- Online sales knocking out Black Friday
- Why Nobody Wants to Shop at the Mall Anymore
- Thanksgiving Digest (IBM E-Commerce Edition): Mobile 43% Of All Traffic, Over 25% Of All Online Sales
