Brace yourselves for an upwardly mobile Black Friday

2019 will produce a ‘mobile Black Friday’, according to research from Bloomreach.

Based on 2018 data, it predicts over 50% of e-commerce sales will come from mobile devices. 2018 saw UK mobile traffic spike by over one million searches on the week of Black Friday, with desktop only seeing an increase of just over 100,000.

In terms of revenue, the UK saw an overall increase in spend of over £12 million in the week of Black Friday, with mobile sales responsible for 50% of all transactions. Purchases made from desktop and tablet devices made up the rest.

The morning commute proved the most popular time to browse and buy on smartphones, with over £60,000 worth of transactions happening between 7 and 10am on Black Friday itself. Michael Schirrmacher, UK MD at Bloomreach, says: “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.”

But at the same time, he adds, if retailers don’t have the personal touch, they’ll likely be left in the wake of larger e-commerce players who have historically dominated the Black Friday period.