3 Tips for Having the Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Yet

Plan promotions in advance – don’t procrastinate!

With more people shopping online and the pandemic still a threat, retailers are finding ways to spread out online orders over the holiday season as to not overwhelm their supply chain. Strategic (and early) planning of promotions will therefore be paramount this year to entice consumers, who have proven that they are getting their holiday shopping done far earlier than in previous years. Communicate clearly and often with your customers about what they can expect ahead of time so they aren’t hit with any surprises or confusion about what they can expect on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Also consider extending sales beyond these traditional milestone days to give a wider range of customers the opportunity to benefit from deals typically reserved for a short window of time.

Prepare for in-store and curbside pickup volume

This year, Best Buy expects 40% of its Black Friday sales to be through curbside pickup. According to CEO Corie Barry, in 2020, stores are no longer just about the shopping experience. In pandemic times, their purpose has rapidly shifted from enjoyable pastime to the necessity of picking up a product. “The key is whether the customer wants to do it online whether they want to have it shipped the same day or next day, we just need to be ready to fulfill it for them.” To ease the strain, many retailers are leveraging various online shopping tools such as expanded options to buy an item online and pick it up in a store or schedule an employee to walk the item directly to a shopper’s car. Providing customers with options such as curbside pickup for online orders not only allows shoppers to quickly retrieve their items, it also saves the retailer money that would have been spent on packaging and shipping and prevents an overwhelmed delivery pipeline.

Know and embrace that this year will be different

If 2020 has taught the retail industry anything, it’s that you can never be too prepared for change. With Americans still watching their budgets, know and be comfortable with the idea that 2020 is not predicted to be a banner year for holiday sales. Instead of putting immense pressure on holiday profits, take the time to adjust your strategy and think critically about how you plan to change your business for the new era in which we live. Offering flexibility, from things like payment options to curbside pickup, across the board will show your shoppers you have their best interest in mind. 

Shoppers will likely gravitate to pandemic-tailored gifts appropriate for our new “work from home” lifestyles, such as comfy lounge clothing, athleisure, home goods and gaming consoles. With shoppers expected to be highly selective in what they buy, retailers both online and brick-and-mortar should ensure that their inventory is stocked with utilitarian basics in addition to niche specialty goods.

One bright spot to consider, however, is that Americans have spent far less money than typical this year on experiences like travel, entertaining and dining, so they may be allocating more to spend on their holiday shopping lists. When making your last-minute preparations for Black Friday / Cyber Monday, remember that customers need the holiday spirit and joy more than ever, so listen to their changing needs and give them more ways than ever to experience it.