Omnichannel Retailers Deliver

Black Friday and Thanksgiving continue to provide business opportunities for retailers – with omnichannel retailers the clear winner.

This is borne out by the latest statistics that show Black Friday online sales in 2018 increased by 23.6 percent when compared to 2017. A new high of $6.22 billion in sales according to Adobe Analytics’ new report.

Unsurprisingly, over $2 billion worth of sales stemmed from smartphones. This is the equivalent of 33.5 percent of the e-commerce sales.

Ominchannel retailers – double the opportunity

But the real winners of Thanksgiving and Black Friday were the omnichannel retailers. They secured 88 percent of the spend over these two days. Showcasing once again, that multiple options for consumers is an excellent strategy.

For instance, of the shoppers that utilized click-and-collect option, 64 percent made an additional in-store purchase.

Double the opportunity, a definite win-win situation for those retailers.

“Omnichannel retailers, those with a physical and online presence, were overwhelmingly the preferred destination for holiday shoppers,” says the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Physical stores

Foot traffic during Black Friday was down 1.7 percent on from last year, according to ShopperTrak. More than 70 retailers opted to keep their doors closed during this festive period.

However, despite prevailing economic conditions and negative sentiment on the future of retail, a less than 2 percent decrease might be considered a win for those in physical stores.