How to Win at Black Friday

For most businesses, Black Friday is the biggest sales event of the year. Since 1952, this day-after-Thanksgiving has marked the beginning of the Holiday shopping season.

The day is highly-publicized, generating headlines across the nation, as consumers and corporations enter into fierce competition for sales and savings. From big box retailers to mom-and-pop shops, fierce competition begins with tens of billions of dollars in consumer spending at stake.

Here’s a look at the most recent data pertaining to Black Friday sales, business, and marketing.

2016 Black Friday Statistics:

Spending

154M+ shoppers
$45B+ total sales
$290 average spend per shopper

Marketing

36% of shoppers only purchased “on sale” items
71% of purchases influenced by marketing seen in Sept / Oct / Nov
48% made impulsive purchases
54% responded to ads from retailers
75% prefer receiving ads/offers by direct mail and email

Purchase Influencers

64% Free shipping
50% Limited-time sale
33% Immediate in-store availability
25% Free gift with purchase
24% Helpful customer service

Source: National Retail Federation, 2017 Holiday Planning Playbook

National Retail Federation Says Multi-Channel Marketing Key to Winning Sales

The National Retail Federation says that consistent marketing is the key to winning the hearts (and cash) of consumers. According to the organization’s 2017 Holiday Planning Playbook, “One of the best ways to encourage purchases in 2017 is to send limited-time promotional offers through multiple channels.”

That sentiment is echoed by many of the biggest brands, and advertising agencies, too.

“One and done marketing tactics are ill-advised,” says Chris Barr, director of marketing for Taradel, a 10-time Inc. 5000 marketing services firm.

“To influence Holiday purchasing decisions, consumers need to see your offer about a dozen times, across a variety of physical and digital channels. For the average small business, the best way to do this is to target the same audience with a combination of direct mail, email, social, and digital display ads.”

Since most businesses now offer both physical and ecommerce shopping experiences, a multi-channel marketing strategy empowers customers to purchase in whichever way is most convenient for them. Some customer prefer to walk the aisles, while others want a speedy online transaction.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself — To Avoid Falling Behind Competitors

Is your business adapting to the latest marketing technologies and consumer shopping trends?
Do you have a clearly defined marketing calendar for the 2017 Holiday Season?
How will you deploy a multi-channel marketing effort to reach the same prospects consistently?

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