Written by Jim Babb
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Black Friday and Cyber Monday were different this year… because everything’s different in 2020.
According to RetailNext, sales in physical stores were down almost 30% from 2019. Meanwhile, ecommerce continued to soar. Adobe Analytics, which tracks 80 of the top 100 U.S. ecomm sites, measured a record $9.03 billion in Black Friday sales, followed by another record $10.84 billion on Cyber Monday.
Our team analyzed the BFCM landscape to identify three marketing strategies we liked—and three that were yikes.
National Retail Federation research found that 42% of shoppers started their holiday shopping early this year, and many retailers weren’t waiting for Black Friday, either. We were impressed by ecomm sites that found creative ways to structure and message a parade of deals, discounts, freebies, and exclusives.
A great example is the way Huckberry built BFCM momentum with their holiday lineup. This feels very much like an event listing, and it’s exciting to see a variety of offers, including a veterans’ discount, a new product drop, and an annual contest.
Home Depot used a slightly different tactic. The days before and after BFCM brought rotating daily deals, and the only way to get the details was by visiting the store’s website. If your inventory is broad enough, this can be a compelling way to encourage repeat visits—and multiple buys.
Department stores are dead, but Nordstrom may be an exception. Not only did the company beat Q3 estimates, it seems well-positioned for the post-pandemic future, thanks to smart investments in fulfillment operations and ecommerce. Customer service is a cornerstone of Nordstrom’s brand: Its stores have in-house stylists to revamp your wardrobe, beauty experts to suggest the right lipstick or perfume, and other associates trained in the art of helping people who don’t know what they want.
For BFCM, Nordstrom moved its personalized service online. Each day featured new deals (aka daily drops), and each item was selected by a store shopper who provided product insight and gifting advice. For those who miss the reassuring feeling of IRL shopping with a knowledgeable salesperson, this was the next best thing.
We saw a few versions of this, but the example here comes from jeweler Lizzie Fortunato (a P+S client). To build their marketing list while driving interest in Black Friday sales, LF offered an early access pass to the sale with email submission. What made this approach great was the fact that it emphasized benefits for the customer, not the brand, thanks to a 10% discount and other special offers.
We talk a lot about social proof here at Part and Sum. Time and time again, we’ve seen that people look for other people’s opinions before they buy. Ulta created a sense of buzz around key products by displaying a simple timed purchase counter on hover. Remember when you’d see a long line and think, “Wow, I should check that out”? This is that, from the comfort of home.
