Shopify have revealed this years Black Friday and Cyber Monday season trends.
BFCM participation is on the rise
According to Shopify’s BFCM Shopping Predictions Survey, 67% of U.S. consumers say they’re planning to shop during BFCM this year (similar to last year), while higher interest was shown among shoppers in Italy (up from 84% to 86%), Germany (up from 61% to 65%) and Canada (up from 50% to 61%) when compared to 2020. Across many countries, the amount that BFCM shoppers plan to spend has risen in 2021 versus the year prior, including the U.S.
BFCM is a season, not just a weekend
With brands looking to get ahead of shipping and supply chain delays, many holiday deals will start earlier this year and consumers plan on getting a head start on their shopping, similar to last year. As of early October, over a quarter of U.S. BFCM shoppers (27%) we surveyed said they had already started looking for deals, with similar results in Canada (25%), Germany (23%), UK (22%), and New Zealand (22%).
Consumers want options
Due to continued impacts from Covid, shoppers purchased online almost exclusively last year. And while plans for e-commerce continue to outpace in-store shopping this year, independent businesses need to be ready to reach their customers wherever they’re shopping. Plans to shop both online and in-store are up 11% from 2020 in the U.S., with 59% of shoppers saying they intend to take a hybrid approach this year. In Italy, 59% of shoppers said they plan to shop both ways (up 10% from 2020), along with 50% of shoppers in Canada (up 5% from 2020), 47% in Germany (up 9% from 2020), and 43% of shoppers in Australia (up 6% from 2020).
BFCM social commerce led by younger shoppers
Shopify’s survey showed that younger BFCM shoppers (ages 18-34) are more likely to purchase an item directly from social media this year when compared to those ages 35+. We see this trend in the U.S. (with 21% of younger shoppers more likely to purchase through social commerce), and also the Netherlands (20%), UK (22%), Australia (27%), and New Zealand (25%). As consumers increasingly turn to social commerce, we’ve partnered with platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to help merchants meet their consumers wherever they are.
Support for independent businesses holds strong
Over half of BFCM shoppers surveyed in the U.S. plan to spend about the same as last year (59%) on independently owned businesses, similar to shoppers in Spain (57%), Netherlands (55%), Canada (53%), and Japan (53%). Around a quarter of shoppers in Australia (25%) and New Zealand (29%) reported plans to spend more than last year.
