Avoid The Black Friday (And Cyber Monday) Blues

The holiday rush is quickly approaching, and if last year is any indicator of what’s ahead, retail sales are about to skyrocket, beginning with Black Friday. Last year, online sales grew 20% over 2015, and overall retail sales grew 10.5%, reaching $97.7 billion between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31. Black Friday was the top online shopping day ever in the United States last year — until it was surpassed by Cyber Monday sales a few days later.

Despite a dip in Q3 sales due in part to the devastations caused by Hurricane Harvey and Irma, analysts are predicting 2017 holiday sales — both online and in-store — to outpace last year’s sales.

You Have One Shot to Convert New Shoppers

Many retailers will see big spikes in sales orders starting Black Friday along with an increase in first-time shoppers (15%, per research from Custora) on their E-commerce sites. Timely, accurate fulfillment will go a long way in turning these new customers into repeat customers who become loyal to your brand.

Additionally, research shows that holiday customers are more likely to shop new stores once and never return, driven solely by seasonal promotions and deals. Although it’s a little harder to earn a repeat customer during this two-month window, it’s by no means impossible.