Boxing Day is now considered the new Black Friday
In recent years, Boxing Day has risen as the day to get the maximum revenue for retailers. In 2018, during Boxing Day only a total of £ 8.8 million in sales was registered. It was a record day of spending in the United Kingdom. More than 27 million people around the country purchased something. A significant result compared to the £ 12 million spent during the Christmas and New Year period together.
In 2019, studies show that the expense will be equal or even higher. The forecasts indicate an increase in sales of up to 16% compared to the previous year, both in physical and online sales. Boxing Day is considered in the United Kingdom a more important date than Black Friday, and more countries, including the United States, are having a case of the Boxing Day fever.
Globally, traffic during Boxing Day experienced an increase compared to regular activity. The top 10 countries that showed the most activity were US (25%), UK (106%), Spain (33%), Canada (136%), France (24%), Poland (96%), Germany (35%), China (32%) and Russia (14%). The reasons to buy online during Boxing Day, according to consumers, are free shipping (69%), and better deals and discounts (51%).
The origin of Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a holiday that originated in the United Kingdom in the 19th century. Merchants received boxes with money or gifts the first day of the week after Christmas. The box was a gesture to show appreciation for their services throughout the year. However, at present, retailers no longer receive but offer something to their customers: massive discounts to minimise the existence of Christmas inventory products.
During this day and until well into January, consumers can enjoy discounts of up to 75%. As a result, on Boxing Day, global traffic can increase up to 32% overall and up to 47% compared to Christmas Day. In the US, online visitors on December 26th, 2018, increased 52% compared to December 25th.
Mobile sales continue to lead
Akamai predicted in September 2018 that mobile shopping would continue its growth this holiday season. For Christmas and Boxing day, there has been no deviation from that trend. Statistics show that Boxing Day has the most significant mobile transactions with about 84 million visits to websites through these devices.
IBM data shows that the number of consumers using their mobile device to make a purchase increased to 24.7%, a 16% growth year-over-year. Much of this increase in mobile traffic can be attributed to the iPad, which generated more traffic than any other tablet or smartphone.
Amazon is the most visited e-commerce site with more than 12% of all visits. Early discounts were one of the critical reasons for the increase. One in every 125 searches conducted in the UK, including the word “sale” or “sales.” However, Boxing Day eclipsed the previous two days with consumers spending 14 million hours visiting online retail sites.
How to take advantage of Boxing Day?
As in Black Friday, during Boxing Day, all brands are waiting to generate their highest volume of revenue of the season. This means that the avalanche of offers and mega discounts will be the order of the day. What to do to differentiate yourself from the competition? Personalisation.
For example, prepare a variety of discounts to encourage your customers to come back. Include free shipping rates or a special discount if they buy a certain number of products. You can choose between discounts depending on the number of products purchased or the amount spent. The advantage of using AI is that it can identify patterns and generate actions based on these activities.
In the case of Recommend, when using push notifications you can inform your customers that the discounts have started before your competitors. Also, you can show real-time stocks so that buyers have a sense of urgency. Use cross-selling to sell even more. Look closely at your trends and be strategic. Boxing Day is one of the most important shopping days of the year. To be prepared and have a fluid shipment and logistics is especially essential.
