This year, Black Friday is scheduled for November 29th, and as a result, retailers and consumers are eagerly awaiting the advantages and promotions of the period, which in recent years has become one of the most anticipated dates on the retail calendar, comparable to Christmas. The main difference related to purchasing behavior is that during Black Friday, purchases are often made immediately and without consultation, as customers directly seek the lowest price; in other words, the sale goes to whoever has the best offer.
To handle this large volume of demand and scale its service capacity, the retailer would require significant costs, as well as training. On the other hand, with conversational artificial intelligence, a quality service standard is promoted regardless of the customer and time. AI after Black Friday, for example, is a major point when mentioning the importance of this service.
Impulsiveness at the time of purchase also leads to a lot of cart abandonments with products. This is where abandoned cart recovery campaigns come in, promoting a new contact so that the consumer can retrieve what they left behind. Furthermore, considering the end-to-end experience of this customer, the support for exchanges, questions, or returns through AI helps to keep the consumer satisfied.
Artificial intelligence does not replace people, but enables the company to allocate its employees in more strategic locations. The focus is that the standard of all service brought by AI fidelizes the customer, who knows that regardless of the contact moment, whether proactive or receptive, it will be of quality. Furthermore, technology ensures accessible service, as it can accommodate different languages, formats, and communication styles.
According to the Neotrust and ClearSale survey, the revenue from Black Friday 2023 in Brazilian e-commerce was R$ 5.23 billion, representing a 14.6% decrease compared to the previous year. With the decrease in online sales rates, many retailers are seeking new methods to stand out in a competitive market and cater to an audience that needs new products, in addition to digital convenience. The study of "Artificial Intelligence in Retail" by Central do Varejo, conducted in 2023, shows that 47% of retailers are already using AI, while 53% have not yet implemented this technology.
“On Black Friday, businesses tend to reach an entire month’s revenue in one day. For e-commerce, there is a greater volume of consumers on websites. Therefore, the use of AI must focus on adding quality throughout the customer journey, from research to after-sales, creating a standard of service, regardless of the time or language style, helping the customer with questions that are part of their entire shopping experience,” says Viviane Campos, Global Head of Business at Connectly.ai.
However, AI is already a reality in the retail sector, but many need to adapt to keep up with innovations. "The retailer who understands the power of AI and the meaning of standardized service will foster loyalty compared to those who do not use it. Additionally, AI benefits businesses of all sizes, as it involves low financial costs in the long term," complements Viviane.
