Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year, providing consumers with the opportunity to purchase products and services at promotional prices. In Brazil, the date has been gaining more and more relevance, moving billions of reais and attracting millions of consumers. Even though last year Brazilian trade experienced a contraction – in 2023, Brazil had its second worst Black Friday in history – the expectation is for a better performance this year
According to research conducted by Google and recently released, at least 62% of Brazilians intend to make some purchase – whether of products or services. At least 76% of consumers intend to buy electronics; another 59% are interested in fashion, while 44% seek offers related to beauty and personal care. Items for the home are on the list of 41% of people who intend to take advantage of Black Friday this year
AND, just like in your country of origin, the Brazilian Black Friday happens much more in online retail than in physical stores – even though last year the performance was not as expected, online commerce recorded a 15% increase in online sales revenue compared to 2022, with an average ticket of R$ 676 per customer, according to data from the Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association (Abcomm). Physical retail recorded an increase of only 4%, according to Fecomercio
In light of this scenario, it is important for retailers to prepare to serve the customer online – with agility and quality, ensuring that the experience on the date does not detract from the company's reputation with the consumer
CX could be the surprise factor of Black Friday in 2024
During high-volume shopping events like Black Friday, customer experience (CX, in the English acronym) becomes even more crucial. Several studies indicate that a good customer experience can increase loyalty, the value of the brand is, consequently, the sales. WhatsApp and email remain the preferred channels for consumers to receive offers – as well as Instagram, which is well used by small and medium retail
Another channel that experienced enormous growth in Brazil is RCS, or the SMS of the future, that had a growth of 358% worldwide. With technology ensuring the security of SMS at its origin, text messages can also be used to promote personalized offers
Not online, the most important thing is to ensure that the consumer has a fast and omnichannel experience, it doesn't matter what point you are at in the journey – or what is your source channel. This means having service channels that operate with the same agility – there's no point in having a telemarketing service if the waiting line will make the customer give up on the purchase, or a WhatsApp that does not provide answers at the time of contact. That's why, it is essential to reinforce and train the team during the promotion period – not just one day – but that extends for two weeks or the entire month of November – to ensure that the customer experience is not the reason for cart abandonment
Besides the team, of course, offer self-service options with chatbots and intelligent IVRs, that alleviate human service, and provide quick resolutions for the most common customer inquiries. Some Brazilian companies, inclusive, they offered automated and human support 24×7 during the period – after all, there are many offers and promotions that are broadcast during the early morning
Personalization is also a strategy that can bring more conversions – with offers and recommendations created from consumer browsing behavior and their purchase history. Artificial intelligence tools can provide a more relevant and satisfying shopping experience for the consumer, as well as sending offers to the communication channels with the customer at relevant moments in their purchasing journey
Infrastructure needs to be ready
It is clear that having a service ready for demand is a key factor as long as the infrastructure and logistical processes are not a bottleneck – otherwise you will provide your client with an excellent complaints channel. That's why, ensuring that the technological infrastructure meets demand is an essential item for ensuring a successful shopping journey
Still within this theme, it is necessary to strengthen the logistics infrastructure so that it is possible to meet the demand of the period – without delays in the promised deadlines, and with delivery guarantee even in more remote locations. Capillarity in delivery, a well-distributed network must ensure that there are no operational bottlenecks
Finally, price transparency is essential. According to Google, the research on the desired items for Black Friday by consumers started in July – that is, more than ever, customers monitor prices and discounts to see if the store really offers a good deal. Furthermore, various websites also monitor prices, reporting pricing practices that did not reflect real discounts.
It is important to remember that Black Friday is not just a sales opportunity, but also a chance to strengthen the relationship with customers. After all, a positive shopping experience is the true surprise factor that can turn occasional customers into repeat buyers
