Retailers already know: the five most anticipated days of the year are coming and to make Black Friday the 13th month of 2024, it will not be necessary only to prepare your sites in advance against slowness, the absence of a good history of landing pages and last-minute trend research. We are facing a Black Friday that promises to be a turning point, in terms of effective application of artificial intelligence by companies. At a recent event, Google Brazil directors stated that the use of AI to optimize processes is set to boost this year's edition, inclusive
Let's think about some possibilities for using technology and how they can benefit sellers and their businesses, thinking about the entire customer journey within e-commerce. There are several steps that the consumer goes through until reaching the checkout, and how companies optimize each of them makes a difference in the short and long term, considering that the main interest of brands is customer loyalty. AI is a tool that can facilitate this end-to-end journey, as we will see next.
Real-time demand forecasting
The use of the tool can prevent one of the problems that most afflict retailers during peak demand periods: stock shortages. With AI, demand forecasting occurs in real time, ensuring the replenishment of products
According to a study by the consulting firm McKinsey, AI-based demand forecasting can reduce inventory costs by 10% to 40%. Brands like Walmart have already reported saving billions of dollars by optimizing their supply chains with technology. Still, AI can predict logistical disruptions, ensuring deliveries on time.
Greater personalization in offers
Trend research is also a crucial aspect of Black Friday, what requires from SEO an attentive look at consumption habits to anticipate demand.It is from this that the company is able to prepare its inventory strategically for the period. This movement is not new for retailers who keep an eye on what is trending every year
However, when we talk about generative AI, it allows analyzing large amounts of customer data, as purchase history, research and demographic information, creating highly personalized offers, based on browsing habits, and suggesting much more accurate results. The consequence is a higher conversion and sales rate for brands
Rapid landing page generation and instant pricing
To increase conversion and lead generation, the creation of landing pages is also a fundamental element. And the good returns are proportional to the volume of pages created. With AI, it is possible to optimize this creation process automatically, generating a huge amount of pages in a short time. And to optimize competitiveness, AI also allows prices to adjust instantly
Efficient customer support and fraud protection
In addition to possible logistical bottlenecks and other issues I mentioned above, one of the great challenges of Black Friday is, definitely, manage orders and provide efficient customer support. It is common to hear reports of overloaded and stressed teams that result in problems in the consumer's buying journey, that ends up frustrated and, many times, cancelling the product.
The good news is that AI chatbots handle mass requests much more efficiently, ensuring a higher level of buyer satisfaction and loyalty. And you, retailer, you should remember that great service and an efficient problem-solving channel will bear fruit beyond November
Another constant headache for both buyers and sellers is the increasing attempts at fraud in the country. On Black Friday 2023, they totaled R$ 10 million, according to data from Clearsale. And although AI has been a tool for carrying out scams, it can also offer protection against them. Generative AI algorithms are capable of preserving retailers' revenue, through the identification of risk situations and deviations from patterns in transactions that suggest counterfeit profiles or products, preventing, in this way, the occurrence of frauds
Automated checkout and reduced waiting time
Finally, we arrived at the checkout. Many customers abandon carts due to the slow lines at the payment stage. Data from a survey conducted by Salescycle, in 2021, it was revealed that more than 80% of users abandon their online cart. Investing in automated checkout systems can solve this problem, accelerating the purchasing process and reducing waiting time
In summary, betting on AI improves real-time decision-making for sellers, simplifies the search for products, personalizes the experiences and speeds up the checkout for buyers. And remember to take lessons this year, because AI is a one-way street. We can expect an even faster application of technology on Black Friday 2025, what will elevate the competitiveness among retailers to another level.
