The countdown to Black Friday 2024 has begun. From Friday, 29 November, until Monday, 2 December (the so-called Cyber Monday), eCommerce will offer unbelievable discounts that will lead to a peak in sales and, as a consequence, also in shipping.
What are the expectations and trends for this Black Friday 2024? Is your eCommerce business ready for the most anticipated day of the year for consumers? In this article we try to answer the first question with numbers and data, and help you answer the second with some useful tips. Let’s get started!
Black Friday 2024: online sales data
In recent years, Black Friday has consolidated its role as a key event for the eCommerce industry, transforming consumer behaviour and sales strategies globally.
With sales on the digital channel continuing to increase – Italians’ online purchases in 2024 are worth €58.8 billion, 6% more than in 2023 according to the latest data from the eCommerce B2c Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano – the expectations for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 are evidently high.
Before we understand what the expectations are for this Black Friday 2024, however, let’s see how last year went.
How Black Friday 2023 went
Black Friday 2023 marked a global increase in online sales of 8% over the previous year, reaching $70.9 billion worldwide. In the US, the growth was even more pronounced, with a 9% increase bringing online sales to $16.4 billion.
A trend that reflects an increasingly entrenched consumer preference for eCommerce. Suffice it to say that the increase in online sales far outpaced the increase in sales in physical shops, which grew by only 1.1% during Black Friday 2023.
Italians, in particular, are the most likely in Europe to shop online during Black Friday: according to Statista, in 2023, 70% of Italian consumers said they would shop exclusively online during ‘Black Friday’.
Black Friday, however, is only the beginning of a hectic shopping week known as Cyber Week, which also includes Cyber Monday and other discount days. In 2023, global Cyber Week sales increased by 6 per cent to USD 298 billion.
Black Friday 2024: how it will go
If 2023 was a golden year for eCommerce, Black Friday 2024 is expected to be even better. Indeed, online sales expectations show significant growth compared to last year.
According to Adobe Analytics, online sales volume is expected to increase by 8.4 per cent. In the US, on Black Friday alone – Friday 29 November – $10.8 billion in spending is expected (+10%), while Cyber Week as a whole will generate $40.6 billion.
Trend for Black Friday 2024
Mobile shopping grows
One of the key factors in the success of eCommerce during Black Friday is the increasingly important role of mobile devices. During Cyber Week 2023, 79% of traffic on eCommerce sites was generated from mobile devices, up from 76% in 2022. 55.3% of online shopping sessions took place via smartphones, while shopping sessions via apps increased by 20%.
For 2024, the expectations are similar: shopping on mobile devices is expected to exceed the threshold of 50 per cent of total online sales, with a projected spend of around USD 128.1 billion from mobile alone.
This trend therefore demonstrates the need for online retailers to improve the shopping experience on mobile devices, making the purchasing process more intuitive and smooth.
Discounts and special promotions drive sales
Discounts and limited-time promotions have clearly emerged as the most effective lever in stimulating purchases. In fact, according to research conducted by the National Retail Federation, some 31% of shoppers said they were prompted to make a purchase by limited-time offers, up from 29% in 2022.
The opportunity to obtain significant discounts is therefore one of the main reasons why shoppers continue to shop in droves during Black Friday.
Click&Collect is increasingly popular
The so-called ‘peak season’, i.e. the peak period for online sales which also includes Black Friday, imposes considerable challenges on eCommerce with regard to logistics and shipment management.
During Black Friday, merchants have to handle a high order load, often 30-50% higher than during standard periods. This increase can cause delivery delays, additional costs and increased pressure on the distribution infrastructure. To meet these challenges, many eCommerce providers are looking for solutions to reduce delivery times and costs without compromising customer satisfaction. This is where alternative delivery methods, such as Locker and Pick-up Points, but also Click&Collect, can make a difference.
Consumers are also finding these alternatives advantageous: according to Deloitte, in 2023 28% of shoppers planned to use Click&Collect as a way to pick up their online orders. Overall, Click&Collect was used in 18.4 per cent of all online orders during Black Friday 2023 among retailers offering the service.
Also in 2024, meeting consumers’ needs by offering them this alternative, more convenient and more sustainable way of collecting their online orders will be key to winning new customers.
Thanks to GEL Proximity, offering this solution to your customers is easy! You can upload and enable a physical network of shops on the GEL Proximity map, allowing your customers to purchase a wide range of products online, while retaining control over in-store delivery processes and saving on shipping costs.
Discover our Click&Collect service now !
Locker and Pick-up Points for more flexible and sustainable deliveries during Black Friday
As mentioned above, the use of Locker and Pick-up Points by eShoppers has grown considerably in recent years, even in Italy, especially during peak periods such as Black Friday. These alternative delivery solutions make it possible to optimise logistics flows by distributing parcels at strategic points and reducing the number of last mile deliveries. This not only reduces delivery time and costs, but also has a positive impact in terms of sustainability by limiting CO₂ emissions from transport vehicles.
The ability to choose Locker or Pick-up Points as delivery methods also gives customers greater flexibility, allowing them to collect their parcels at more convenient times and locations. During Black Friday, when home delivery delays are common, these options are therefore a practical and safe alternative. A study by Retail Customer Experience indicates that 11% of consumers prefer to use Lockers precisely because of their convenience and reliability.
Offering their customers a range of delivery options therefore expands sales opportunities for eCommerce, helping them to stand out in a competitive market. During Black Friday, being able to meet customers’ expectations with a fast, flexible, cheaper and sustainable delivery service can make the difference between a completed sale and an abandoned shopping cart.
If you are a merchant and would like to integrate Lockers and Pick-up Points to your eCommerce now, choose GEL Proximity! We can offer you more than 300,000 Pick-up Points already active throughout Europe.
