Strategies include going to the shops in advance to work out where the product is located on the shelves (21%), working in a team to hunt down the items (17%), getting there as early as possible to queue (21%) and, for Cyber Monday in particular, 40 per cent of people check their internet connection to the retailer in advance.

Research conducted by Blue Yonder also found that only one in four people who shopped on Black Friday / Cyber Monday last year had a good retail experience and that one fifth of items purchased were sold on.

The nationwide survey of 2000 individuals uncovered some interesting statistics. Three quarters of respondents that had shopped on Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year had a bad experience, with reasons ranging from ‘the shops were too busy’, ‘there was not enough of a discount’, to ‘it was traumatic and not worth the hassle’ and ‘products were out of stock’. This increases with Cyber Monday as 84% stated they had a bad experience: Nearly half found websites too slow or found them crashing, and a number felt the discount did not warrant the hassle.

It is unsurprising then to see that the research suggests even fewer people will get their shopping done on these two days this year. Last year 46% of the nation hit the shops on Black Friday and 44% surfed the internet for deals on Cyber Monday. This year only 38% of respondents say they will be shopping on these discount days. The reasons for this:

  • A third don’t like the queues and found the shops too busy
  • A quarter prefer to find other ways to get the best price
  • A fifth saw footage from last year
  • A quarter feel there is either not enough of a discount or they can get a better deal in the January sales

Markus Juhr-de Benedetti, Chief Revenue Officer at Blue Yonder, says: “It is clear that a careful approach to Black Friday and Cyber Monday by retailers is needed. Bad experiences can put customers off brands, especially if they leave empty handed due to a product selling out too quickly. We all remember the scenes from last year’s shops. With individuals planning their purchases so far in advance, Black Friday and Cyber Monday can also impact sales over the rest of the year. Using predictive analytics, retailers strike the right balance between discount, stock availability and profitability, ensuring it’s win-win for consumer and retailer.”

Cyber Monday was taken advantage of most by the younger generations. The survey showed that millenials were more than twice as likely to shop on Cyber Monday than over 55s. In addition, the findings show that those set to brave the sales have been waiting on average 2 months and 5 days to make their big purchases, with a dedicated 7 per cent stating they have been waiting longer than 7 months. The items most waited for are tablets, laptops and smartphones (16%), followed by games consoles (15%) and televisions (13%).

The research also revealed that a fifth cent of purchases were bought to be sold on and a further fifth of shoppers bought an item that they either did not need, wish they hadn’t bought or felt guilty about and returned afterwards. This demonstrates that some consumers get swept up in the hype of these days, rather than shopping for items that are actually needed.

The Blue Yonder research additionally found that, with Christmas starting to weigh on shoppers’ minds, only a small percentage of around 8 per cent use Black Friday and Cyber Monday as part of their Christmas shopping plans. With their eyes on bagging bargains on bigger ticket items such as tablets or laptops shoppers continue to stick to their usual Christmas shopping habits and the last minute dash on Christmas Eve sees no signs of abating.

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