Every year, retailers face the same dilemma: how to create irresistible discounts and attractive campaigns to stand out in the flood of promotions during each seasonal period?
But, looking at this seasonal rush, is it enough to sell more?
Although all of this has its value in increasing the retailer's revenue, it will only be possible to have sustainable performance throughout the year when the entrepreneur undergoes a key change in mindset: the use of automation and data to sell more efficiently and with sustainable operational effort. This is what I see as part of the future of intelligent e-commerce.
Looking back, Black Friday, for example, is not only the biggest sales event of the year; it is a barometer of the market, revealing consumption patterns, customer behavior and operational efficiency. The big question that every retailer should ask themselves now is: what can I take from this experience to grow next year?
Going beyond the tip of the iceberg
The modern retailer needs to accept that competitive pricing is only part of the equation. Consider this scenario: you invested heavily in discounts, attracted massive traffic, but ended the campaign with hundreds of abandoned carts. What does this mean? Something deeper—and often overlooked—needs to be addressed.
This is where the strategic use of data and automation comes in. For example, segmenting offers to specific profiles, sending personalized messages to customers who did not complete their purchases, or offering special conditions to those who only visited a page, are initiatives that transform lost interactions into real conversions.
Furthermore, analyzing which products have the highest abandonment rate allows you to adjust your strategies more surgically. Perhaps the discount is not attractive enough, or the target audience for that item was not correctly identified. Learning from these missed opportunities is a necessary step towards growth. And this is visible in practice: according to Loja Integrada, retailers recovered more than R$30 million in sales using abandoned cart tools in 2024 alone.
Another important lesson that Black Friday teaches us is the need for robust operations. Those who prepared well for peak traffic times and high inventory demand probably came out ahead.
Knowing, for example, which products sold the most or the peak traffic times is essential for planning future campaigns. More than that, having an agile operation to adjust promotions in real time can be the difference between achieving or not achieving goals.
The power of data
Data analysis is the most valuable legacy that any seasonality can leave for your business. Here’s how to use it to your advantage:
- Prioritize best-sellers: Which items were in highest demand? Keep an eye on these categories to highlight them in future campaigns;
- Understand consumer behavior: Who bought what, and when? Use this information to segment your customers and improve your offerings;
- Prepare yourself better: Products that are out of stock or stuck in stock can be important indicators for planning for 2025;
- Adjust marketing campaigns: Historical data can guide adjustments to ads, email marketing, and remarketing, making your next campaigns even more strategic.
What remains, then?
E-commerce platforms must go beyond simply offering tools to meet demands – they must ease the burden on entrepreneurs, especially during market peaks. They must act proactively for retailers, identifying opportunities, taking action and generating measurable growth autonomously.
This isn’t about incremental changes – it’s about rethinking e-commerce completely.
