Each year, Black Friday represents a huge date in the diaries of merchants the world over. And from a global perspective, 2019 was another stellar year.

Black Friday 2019

Early indications suggest that year on year Black Friday sales rose by over $1.2 billion in the US, whilst in the UK, the average transaction value was up 16.5%. And this dramatic growth was mirrored in our clients’ Black Friday 2019 results.

With a number of Vaimo clients running Black Friday campaigns, our Ecommerce Consulting team analysed data from our 50 top-performing clients. This data was based on sales from Thursday 00.00 to Friday 23.59—to account for any early Black Friday launches—compared to the same period in 2018.

This year, our top-performing clients managed to transact a combined 170,000+ orders and a whopping 34 million euros in revenue.

Our clients had already seen combined revenue growth of 140.36% for Black Friday 2018—which makes these 2019 gains even more impressive. These figures are a true testament to the success of our global clients and are reflected across a number of other metrics including average order value, conversions and traffic.

Let’s dive into some other top highlights for our clients this Black Friday:

  • The Vaimo client holding the #1 position for three years now had over 43,000 orders this year, with a 78% increase in transactions compared to 2018.
  • Our top 10 performing clients had anywhere from 5000-43,000+ orders
  • On average, our top 10 clients increased order volume by 96% compared to 2018.

At Vaimo, our teams have been working closely with our clients to ensure maximum site performance over the shopping weekend. Here are just a few reflections on this year’s shopping bonanza:

  • As also witnessed in 2018, it’s become apparent that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are no longer one-off peak days. Black Friday is evolving into Black Week or even Black November. This continued blurring of the Black Friday definition is something merchants need to keep in mind when planning towards 2020.
  • Mobile shopping continues to increase as a proportion of overall sales. Indeed, Adobe found that mobile drove a third of all sales for Cyber Monday in the US! This proportion is only likely to increase in future years, so it’s crucial that businesses design user experiences from a mobile-first perspective. But that’s not to say mobile should eclipse everything else. Some customers may want to reserve an item on mobile but pickup in-store. So as always, providing a seamless, unified experience (no matter the channel) is the key to success.
  • Though we’ve been talking about top-performing clients here, one thing to keep in mind is that leaderboards aren’t everything. Black Friday strategies can differ wildly between merchants. Yes, revenue may be the first metric that comes to mind, but what about things like customer acquisition—in order to raise your long-term customer lifetime value? Or getting exposure, and eyes on a new brand? Or striking the balance between order transaction costs (pick & pack), margin and revenue? Black Friday represents different opportunities for different merchants depending on their circumstances and ambitions.
  • Let’s also not forget those that had different Black Friday campaigns altogether or nothing at all. With customers valuing more than just a bargain, many brands have used the occasion of Black Friday to champion sustainability, charity work and conservation to name but a few. This shift in approach reflects a changing customer mindset—one in which customers are aligning their purses with those companies they agree with socially, ethically and philosophically.

Well, that’s a wrap for this year’s results. We’d like to take this opportunity again to congratulate our fabulous clients on what has been a very impressive Black Friday. Our focus will now be on working with our clients to ensure that this result is matched and exceeded for 2020!

Whatever your Black Friday goals and ambitions, our team is on hand to make it a success for your business. Contact us today to learn more about how we can partner with you to drive success in digital commerce!