Black Friday 2020: Most Consumers Won’t Shop Brick-and-Mortar

Black Friday is usually an exciting day of door-busting deals, stores bustling with customers, and people prepared to shop ‘til they drop. But, in all the complexity of 2020, signs are pointing to a much different-looking Black Friday than we’ve ever seen before.

What will Black Friday 2020 look like?

In recent years, there’s been a steady rise in the volume of consumers skipping the in-store Black Friday experience, opting to do their shopping online instead. In tandem with this shift, the importance of having a well-established e-commerce platform and digital marketing plan for your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales has risen — and we expect to see it skyrocket in 2020.

What are consumers saying?

According to a recent survey, only 4% of consumers are planning to shop in brick-and-mortar stores this Black Friday. COVID-19 is still top of mind, and consumers aren’t willing to take the risk of shopping in stores on a day when they are usually brimming with people. Standing in extra-long lines and rubbing elbows with strangers is a prospect that is turning consumers away this year — 62% insist there is no level of preventative measures that would convince them to venture out.

What does this mean for your brand?

A primarily online Black Friday may sound like bad news for originally brick-and-mortar retailers — but if you have an e-commerce presence, this could actually be very good news for you. Why? Because the more consumers shop online, the more data you have available to you about their purchasing decisions.

How do I set my brand up for a successful Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

This presents a big opportunity for your brand to gather consumer data. Target audiences who are shopping with brands like yours, or brands with which you have similar appeal. Once you capture their attention, lean into retargeting efforts to make one-time customers into returning loyalists. 

With consumers shopping mostly online this year, email campaigns will also be a huge component of driving holiday sales. Be sure to segment your campaigns with relevant offers, and don’t be afraid to send follow-up campaigns with a more aggressive offer to customers who did not open or purchase the first time around.

Key Takeaway:

Consumers plan to shy away from brick-and-mortar retail shopping on Black Friday this year. This means your brand can gain valuable consumer insights and gather data for your targeting and retargeting efforts.