Retail sales peak expected by Cyber Monday & Black Friday sales

Retailers expecting to profit on high December sales ahead of the Christmas and New Year period have been warned that shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday may impact December sales growth, and they should focus on them instead.

New research from CouriersPlease reveals one in two Aussies is planning on using sales events to purchase their Christmas gifts. The highest proportion was among under-50s (65 per cent of all under-50s) and women (56 per cent of all women).

Australians spent over $8 billion during the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales period in 2021, up 8 per cent on December 2019s all-time high – suggesting the majority of Aussies are keen to snap up a bargain. A quarter of all Australians plan to shop at the Black Friday sales.

Christmas shopping done and dusted by Black Friday and Cyber Monday

The survey also queried which sales event people felt offered the biggest discounts. Black Friday topped the list, with 30 per cent saying the event delivers the best bang for their buck. One-fifth (21 per cent) of respondents think the best discounts can be found at the Boxing Day sales, while 18 per cent stand by EOFY sales, and 14 per cent believe end-of-season sales get them the best discounts.

CouriersPlease CEO Richard Thame says, “An increasing number of savvy retailers are recognising that Black Friday is the sales event of the year, motivating many to start their sales event earlier and end it later to nab a share of the shopper market.”

While October to Christmas is traditionally the peak period for parcel volumes, CouriersPlease expects its most significant spike in volumes to be in the second half of November, off the back of the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales.

Thame said that although many households felt the pinch of cost of living pressures, consumer spending remained on the rise. The ABS reports household spending has increased for the 18^th consecutive month across discretionary goods such as clothing and footwear – despite increasing inflation and interest rates.

“While retailers have been preparing for a spike in Black Friday orders, it could be a good idea to roll out different offers in the lead-up, or start the event early to create an even flow of customers and keep up with their orders,” Thame said.

Additionally, to increase customer satisfaction, Thame suggests providing additional support and training to customer service staff to combat potential customer issues.

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