Black Friday site crashes: Predictable chaos?

A number of high profile UK retailers crashed this morning as the ‘Black Friday’ shopping frenzy reached record levels.

Nice handling of Black Friday uk. @GAMEdigital @Tesco @Argos_Online @curryspcworld pic.twitter.com/5SEpFzE4aA

— dylan (@dylanhughez) November 28, 2014

The Currys, Tesco, Argos, Game and PC World website is crashing heavily for users as Black Friday gets underway. Shoppers attempting to access the site are having to wait in a queue. Initially, the queue times were up to an hour long.
Black Friday, an American consumer tradition on the day after Thanksgiving, is becoming increasingly important in the UK.
Those not taking full advantage risk losing market share to rivals.
Michael Allen, VP of APM, Dynatrace discussed the need for better online services, said: “As anticipated, Black Friday has put added pressure on digital channels, meaning that even the largest brands’ websites, such as Curry’s and Argos, have struggled to cope. These failings directly impact both top line revenue and brand perception. Customers today are as likely, if not more, to shop online or with their mobiles as they are in-store.”
“In fact, we have just conducted some consumer research, which showed that, in the UK, over a third (34%) of shoppers will do most of their shopping online; while a further 31% will use a combination of mobile, online and in-store. Brands know that their digital channels are strategic, but seems like they still struggle to be fully prepared. Digital channels demand the same level of planning and commitment as, for instance, physical stores hiring extra staff on the floor today to cope with demand. In addition, when executed well, Web sites and mobile apps barely need additional staff for this important day.”