Black Friday: is your business prepared?
The British public are predicted to spend £1 billion on Black Friday 2015, but are retailers prepared for the onslaught from consumers and have they considered the fine details of running big pre-Christmas sales?
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday fast approaching, experts have urged retailers to make sure they’re sufficiently prepared for two of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Parcel delivery comparison website, Parcel2Go.com, has advised businesses and online retailers to ensure they have everything in place ahead of these designated sales days on November 27th and 30th respectively.
According to commerce consultancy Salmon, Black Friday 2015 will be the first year that sees the British public spend a total of £1 billion in a single day, with Cyber Monday expected to bring in even more in online sales.
Robert Mead, marketing manager at Parcel2Go.com, believes that retailers should plan ahead to ensure they are not missing out;
“Research has shown that Black Friday and Cyber Monday generated £180m and £720m last year, which means that those not taking part in these massive online sales could be missing out on opportunities to further their business. However, rather than just slashing prices with very little thought, retailers should be planning ahead to ensure they don’t struggle under high volumes of orders.”
In response to this year’s spending forecasts, Parcel2Go.com is encouraging businesses to devise a well-thought-out strategy for handling incoming orders and ensuring each one is shipped out to customers quickly.
Managing expectations when it comes to delivery should be a top priority. Rather than making promises they may not be able to keep, retailers should manage their customer’s expectations and keep their delivery options realistic, for the sake of themselves and their own customers. Free two-day shipping is a popular choice, as this gives retailers additional time to fulfil orders while simultaneously offering a speedy service.
Businesses should ensure that their customer service is as strong as possible too. Despite the discounts, your customers will still expect their problems and queries to be handled to quickly and efficiently. Due to increased demand and the possibility of encountering problems, it is likely that businesses will also experience a spike in customer service enquiries.
“Black Friday and Cyber Monday will undoubtedly be incredibly busy days for retailers,” Robert continued. “But despite the rush, consumers still expect their products to arrive in a timely manner. It’s understandable that retailers will see Black Friday and Cyber Monday as an opportunity to cash in, but running a flash sale without considering the logistics of doing so – i.e. providing swift, reliable parcel delivery and a sensible returns policy – could do more harm than good in the long term. Handling orders well during a busy season such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday will keep customers happy, giving them a reason to re-visit your website once Christmas arrives. Failing to offer a seamless, hassle-free online buying service, however, could cause the kind of reputational damage that is hard to put right.”
For more information and tips on surviving Cyber Monday, visit the Parcel2Go.com website and read the guide on how to prepare your business and capitalise on the spending rush.
