This upcoming Black Friday will be the first in which sales are primarily made on mobile devices, according to new research.
Digital software company Bloomreach predicts that more than 50 per cent of e-commerce sales will come from mobile devices.
Bloomreach analysed data from last year’s shopping bonanza, and found that Black Friday searches increased by more than one million on mobile devices on the week of the event, in comparison to an increase of just 100,000 on desktop devices.
Mobile devices last year were responsible for 50 per cent of all transactions, with computers and tablets making up the rest, with Bloomreach anticipating that this will increase this year.
Commenting on the statistics, Bloomreach UK MD Michael Schirrmacher said: “Black Friday is one of the biggest retailing events of the year. But in the increasingly competitive world of e-commerce, it’s not only the bargains that will get sales over the line – it’s the seamless experience and service customers receive throughout the entire sales process. Retailers need to be as smart and agile as the people they’re selling to.
“With record online sales last year and an ever-growing shift to mobile commerce, it’s important for companies to ensure they’re offering a sophisticated, yet easy, customer experience that spans all channels and platforms. If retailers don’t have the personal touch that many of their competitors will have, they’ll likely be left in the wake of larger e-commerce players who have historically dominated the Black Friday period.”
