Every year, retailers face the same dilemma: how to create irresistible discounts and attractive campaigns to stand out from the flood of seasonal promotions?
But, looking at this seasonal rush, will it be enough to sell more?
While all of this has its value in increasing the retailer’s revenue, sustainable performance throughout the year will only be possible when the entrepreneur undergoes a key shift in mindset: using 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, isn’t just the biggest sales event of the year; it’s a market barometer, revealing consumption patterns, customer behavior, and operational efficiency. The big question 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 the following 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 haven’t completed their purchases, or offering special deals to those who only visited a single page are initiatives that transform lost interactions into real conversions.
Furthermore, analyzing which products have the highest abandonment rates allows you to more precisely adjust your strategies. Perhaps the discount isn’t attractive enough, or the target audience for that item wasn’t properly identified. Learning from these missed opportunities is a necessary step for growth. And this is evident in practice: according to Loja Integrada, retailers recovered over R$30 million in sales using abandoned cart tools in 2024 alone.
Another important lesson Black Friday teaches is the need for robust operations. Those who prepared well for peak traffic times and high inventory demand likely came out ahead.
Knowing, for example, which products sold best or 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 failing goals.
The power of data
Data analysis is the most valuable legacy any seasonality can leave 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 storage can be important indicators for 2025 planning;
- Adjust marketing campaigns: Historical data can guide adjustments to ads, email marketing, and remarketing, making your future campaigns even more strategic.
What remains, then?
E-commerce platforms must go beyond simply offering tools to meet demands—they must alleviate the entrepreneur’s burden, especially during market peaks. They must act proactively for retailers, identifying opportunities, taking action, and generating measurable growth autonomously.
It’s not about incremental changes – it’s about rethinking e-commerce completely.
