1 in 5 UK shoppers are abandoning the high street and heading online for deals and discounts this Black Friday, according to new research.
The research, from content management system (CMS), Magnolia, surveyed over 1000 shoppers in the week leading up to Black Friday. It found that 20% are planning to buy online this weekend. This could mean a major traffic surge for online retailers, with as many as 13 million people taking part in online deals.
In contrast, Magnolia’s research found that less than 5% of Brits are planning to brave their local high street this Black Friday weekend.
Commenting on the findings, Darren Hitchcock, General Manager at Magnolia said: “It’s vital that retailers have the website infrastructure in place to manage a major event like Black Friday. This means not only being able to curate and launch content, but also being able to adapt to on-the-day events, such as offers from competitors and changes in the availability of stock. Outdated ecommerce platforms and content management systems damage the visitor experience, and make customers far more likely to abandon retailers’ websites and jump ship to Amazon.”
While Black Friday remains the biggest online shopping event, Magnolia’s research found that Amazon’s “Prime Day” sale is also gaining ground, with 17% of Brits now taking part. Hitchcock added: “It’s key for independent retailers to make the most of Black Friday in order to compete with Amazon. Otherwise, Prime Day may soon become the biggest online shopping event on the market.”
The research also suggests that the move to online shopping is driven by young people, with 18-24-year olds being twice as likely to shop online as those over 65.
