Just a few months away from Black Friday – which takes place on November 29th – the retail expectations for the date are high. The estimate is that sales will reach R$ 7.6 billion, 10% higher than last year, according to a survey by Haus, released in August. Black Friday is one of the busiest and most anticipated dates on the calendar, both by retailers and consumers. Such a busy time requires months of preparation for it to be a success. This is explained by Hélcio Lenz, CEO of Körber Supply Chain Software for Latin America.
Despite the consumption intention for 2024 – 55% of Brazilians have already revealed that they intend to buy, and 43% plan to spend more than last year, according to a survey by Dito and Opinion Box, also released in August – the market deals with an increasingly demanding consumer scenario. The results of the 2023 Black Friday confirm this since revenue dropped by 15.1% when compared to the same period in 2022 – data from the Hora a Hora platform, from Confi.Neotrust.
While consumers are already starting their shopping lists, retailers are preparing (or at least should be) to meet all orders with excellence, whether in physical or online commerce. ‘Black Friday is undoubtedly one of the busiest dates in the sector. Expectations are always high, people wait for November to check out the offers and buy different products from different stores. If the business is not properly prepared to offer a good shopping experience to the consumer, the consequences could be felt not only during this period but also negatively impact it for the rest of the year,’ warns Lenz.
Whether beginners or veterans of countless Black Fridays, all retailers can benefit from valuable tips from the expert, which can help businesses successfully navigate the date. Check it out:
- It all starts with the distribution center: no matter if the warehouse is small or spans thousands of square meters. A smart organization of products is the first step for orders to flow more smoothly and efficiently. For this to happen, the use of warehouse management software (WMS) is recommended, as they assist in inventory control and, with data capture, can suggest the best ways to distribute products in the distribution center. The WMS can identify which products will sell the most on Black Friday and suggest that they be placed at the front of the warehouse to be shipped faster, for example.
- Omnichannel is here to stay: a strategy well known in retail, major companies in the sector have already shown the results of omnichannel for business growth. Integrating different channels, such as physical store, online, website, app, and communication channels, places the customer at the center of operations, offering different possibilities and options for making a purchase. Technologies like an Order Management System (OMS) can be allies for implementing this strategy, as they integrate the entire process from purchase to delivery, offering the best experience for the customer.
- Robots to operate alongside humans: another relatively new technology in the market, and undoubtedly should be on the radar of operations, is the implementation of robots in the warehouse. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) can assist employees within the distribution center by moving pallets (shelves that store products) to humans, allowing people to be reassigned to more noble tasks while robots handle all the movement and heavy work. As a result, orders can leave the warehouse more quickly, and with less margin of error.
- Agility in order delivery: according to the Dito and Opinion Box survey, in last year’s Black Friday, e-commerce was the channel through which people bought the most (43% of respondents opted for online stores). Online shopping, intensified after the pandemic, is here to stay. The consumer wants to receive the order in a few days, even hours. In the race for deliveries, the winner is the one who delivers the order to the person as quickly as possible, without damaging the packaging or sending the wrong product, so that the purchasing experience is a success from start to finish. Therefore, in addition to organizing the distribution center’s stock for rapid dispatch, the carrier’s processes must also be aligned for agility to occur end-to-end in the supply chain.
- Know the consumer profile: Understanding who the consumer is, their consumption habits, what they expect from stores and the date in general, is essential to outline strategies and ensure that the Black Friday planning is as assertive as possible. For this, it is necessary to conduct market research, map competitors and understand how they are doing it and seek ways to win over the public through effective communication and in different channels (the marketing planning comes in here).
“It’s not just isolated factors that leverage a business, it’s a set of actions, research, and investments that make it grow. Specifically speaking of Black Friday, it is important that each retailer understands their own business well, what is working and what is not; what priorities need to be addressed; what investments to make, in addition to being attentive to market movements and trends. The sector and consumers are eagerly awaiting this year’s sales,” concludes Lenz.
