The outlook for Black Friday-Cyber Monday

Author

Stephen Babcock
November 25, 2022

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The biggest shopping weekend of the year is here. Adobe expects Black Friday ecommerce spending to rise modestly over 2021, while Deloitte sees the number of people planning to shop BFCM rising back near pre-pandemic levels. At Amazon, Ascential expects GMV to be up 9-10% year-over-year for the holidays. A run of positive earnings from retailers this week brought cheer as offers were getting ready to fly, fanning hopes that a record number of deals will put otherwise glum consumers in the spirit to buy.

The New York Times encapsulates the difficulties of forecasting this peak season, and talks to consumers about the early arrival of holiday shopping, gifting experiences and saving up for big buys at a time of elevated inflation. – NYT

No category is on the front lines of holiday hoopla quite like toys, and this year it is a prime example of the interplay between excess inventory, deals and uncertainty about demand that is bringing profitability challenges heading into 2023. Adding another wrinkle, many companies expect consumers to wait until the last minute to buy. – WSJ

Even during the busiest season, it can help to take a moment to slow down. REI closes all stores and distribution centers on Black Friday, so no orders that are placed with the outdoor co-op are processed until the following day. Operationally, this allows the team to optimize the routes that those items take to customers’ doors. – Digital Commerce 360

The Cyber Five now has a full hand of holidays, thanks to Poshmark. The resale marketplace declared Nov. 27 as Secondhand Sunday in an effort to put the spotlight on circularity in gifting. According to a survey conducted with Morning Consult, 90% of shoppers are open to receiving pre-loved goods as a gift. – Retail Dive

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