Start planning for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2022 sales

Two of the most important shopping events of the year are fast approaching: Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Unlike Singles’ Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are prominent in the U.S. and UK markets. In 2021, the UK accounted for over 10% of all global Black Friday searches online*. Many consumers will go to physical stores, and others will opt to shop from their mobile or laptop device.

Last year, around 6 of 10 shoppers said their motivation for shopping during the Black Friday period was getting Christmas presents for loved ones. For a quarter surveyed, it was for spontaneous deal grabbing!*

All types of businesses get involved in the shopping holiday, and there are strategies you can implement to optimise your store’s sales and shipping strategy for the highly anticipated sales season.

What is Black Friday?

Originating in the U.S., Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. The famous shopping day takes place annually in-store and online and sees retailers and eCommerce brands offer discounts and deals on products across their stores. This year, Black Friday falls on Friday, 25th November.

What is Cyber Monday?

The discounts continue the following week with Cyber Monday. Unlike Black Friday, Cyber Monday focuses predominately on online sales for electronic items and gadgets. Some online stores will knock down their prices further or release other special offers like free shipping. This year, Cyber Monday falls on Monday, 28th November.

Why are they both critical in eCommerce?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the year’s most significant shopping events. Retail giants like Amazon even offer Black Friday discounts during the leadup. However, many smaller companies get involved too.

It’s vital to implement sales and shipping strategies ahead of time because it also is beneficial preparation for the upcoming Christmas sales. If customers have a good experience with you, they will be more likely to purchase from you again and recommend your services or products.

How can I prepare for Cyber sales?

Stay ahead of the shopping season with these valuable tips and tricks:

Deals and discounts

The whole point of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the discount! Customers expect to benefit from a price reduction and happily compare deals to find the best one. Order value promotions are also a great incentive for customers to spend more. Be competitive and introduce product-specific sales, online discount codes and flash sales.

Keep an eye out for our Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions!

Offer free shipping over a threshold

Won’t I lose money offering free shipping, you ask? Well, free shipping is a big incentive in the eCommerce industry. Not only do customers not mind spending a bit more if it means free postage, but it also helps to reduce cart abandonment, boost average order value and gives you a competitive edge!

If you’re concerned about how offering free shipping can be cost-effective, find out more here.

Be clear about your store policies

Sometimes, people go a bit overboard during sales and often panic buy. Panic buying can result in a spike in returns, so checking if your return policies are up-to-date is essential. Equally, if you don’t offer returns, be clear about it before checkout. If you do offer returns, our quick 'Return Parcel' tool in Shipping Manager allows you generate a return booking without having to manually enter your parcel details.

Sort out fast and reliable courier delivery

During the busy sale periods, customers like a choice of shipping services. With Interparcel, you can do just that!

We work with domestic and international couriers, so you send your parcels to customers far and near. Our cheapest shipping service in the UK is the Evri ParcelShop Postable service from only £1.75 + VAT – ideal for sending small items like books, jewellery or light items.

Update your product descriptions

The product description space is an opportunity to really sell your items. Descriptive language, Frequently Asked Questions, and clear product photos all help to showcase your products. It’s also an opportunity to show a bit of your brand’s personality through words which can help build trust with potential new customers.

How can I optimise my shipping strategy with Interparcel?

At Interparcel, we can help optimise your shipping strategy for the upcoming Cyber sales. When you create a free Interparcel account, you’ll have access to fantastic shipping tools and features to grow your business. Here are a couple of useful features you can use ahead of the game:

Integrate your eCommerce platforms

Connect all your eCommerce platforms and marketplaces with Interparcel to manage your orders in one simple dashboard. It’s easy to integrate, and you can even connect multiple stores within the same platform.

Set up Auto PrePay

The run-up to Black Friday will be busy, so reduce your admin time by automating simple tasks. Our Auto PrePay top-up feature ensures your Interparcel account always has funds in place if it drops below your chosen threshold. That means you won’t have to worry about entering your card details each time you book, and you can keep track of your business spending.

Smart Boxing

When Smart Boxing is enabled, imported shipments will be packaged into as few boxes as possible. You can upload your regular box measurements and product inventory to make multi-packing items quicker and simpler.

Turn on Live Shipping Rates

Enabling live shipping rates allows customers to see exact shipping costs at checkout. It provides better transparency for buyers and means you won’t be overcharging or undercharging for delivery. You can activate cart quoting in minutes if you sell on Shopify or WooCommerce.

Customise your Branded Tracking portal

Our Branded Tracking feature keeps your brand at the forefront after the sale. Add your business logo and customise the portal with your brand colours and promotional banner to transform your parcel tracking page into a unique space. You could include a discount code in the banner to encourage customers to purchase from your store again.

Install Print Manager

The Interparcel Print Manager™ enables direct label printing and A4 document printing from our platform to your printer. It will help to save time when managing multiple orders because you won’t have to download and print from PDF files. You can install our printing plugin to your Windows, Mac, Debian or Red Hat system in a few easy steps.

What else do you need to know? With the above strategies in place, you can take a breather knowing you’ve helped prepare your store that little bit more for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. In the meantime, start using our services and see how much you can save.

Set up a free account today and start optimising your online store. You can also get a quote today and benefit from low-cost delivery services.

*Sources:

Black Friday in the United Kingdom, Statista.

Leading consumer reasons for shopping during the Black Friday period in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021, Statista.