Black Friday and Cyber Monday web spend to hit £5bn thanks to mobile

Digital commerce agency Salmon has predicted that online sales between November 24 and November 28, which includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday, will reach £5bn, £2.55bn of which will come from purchases made via mobile devices.

With 50 days to go until the discount shopping events, Salmon’s head of managed services John Beecham said retailers needed to bolster their online platforms for a surge in traffic, irrespective of whether or not they would be offering discounts.

“Black Friday is no longer about one single day, or week. Now it is an opportunity to create an ongoing experience that can help grow a retailer’s customer base and loyalty,” he said.

‘In the mood’

“Even those retailers who do not want to participate in Black Friday need to prepare themselves, as consumers will be in the mood to shop, so they are likely to see an increased uptake and conversion of sales even if they aren’t offering deals and discounts,” he added.

Last year, Black Friday surpassed £1bn in online sales for the first time as shoppers prioritised etail purchases over buying from bricks-and-mortar stores.

Retailers including Dixons Carphone, John Lewis and House of Fraser are planning to put on sales for the retail event this year.