November now top shopping month, 2017 will see first £10bn 'mobile month'

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Oct 11, 2017

British shoppers are predicted to spend a record £10bn via mobile devices this November as they take full advantage of Black Friday deals to stock up for Christmas.

Global e-commerce consultancy Salmon expects £20 billion to be spent online in total in November, marking a shift in festive shopping behaviour with November overtaking December as the biggest shopping month of the year.

Shoppers are also becoming savvier with how they purchase, with 45% of consumers already using or planning to use digital assistants. Voice ordering also accounts for 20% of all searches and could continue to increase in the run up to Christmas as children look set to turn to their Google Home or Amazon Echo for their Christmas lists.

“Black Friday is no longer about one single day, or week – it looks set to take over the whole month. Retailers have realised the opportunity it holds to create an ongoing experience that can help grow their customer base and loyalty, and so it is now an expectation. Even those retailers who do not want to participate in the peak trading phenomenon need to be prepared for it as shopping fever takes over and consumers scour online retailers, even if they aren’t offering discounts,” said James Webster, Head of Managed Services at Salmon.

“The retailers who manage their peak trading operations well will be the ones who have made plans across all departments, and ensured that their systems are able to function across all channels, making it a success for both customers and retailers alike.”

Salmon recommends retailers to plan for more than just the day, think about their international customers and carry out several tests to ensure things run smoothly during peak times.