Black Friday starts when the last slice of pumpkin pie is finished
According to the most recent holiday shopping data, all that tryptophan doesn't seem to be doing anything.
Mobile buying surges this Black Friday season
'Black Friday' is becoming a misnomer, as shoppers are increasingly turning to their devices as soon as Thanksgiving dinner ends.
According to a report from Adobe, final Thanksgiving day sales totaled $3.7bn in online spend, a 28% growth year-over-year.
Mobile is driving that growth. This Thanksgiving marked the first day to see $1bn in sales come from smartphones, according to Adobe. And average order value increased by 8% compared to last year's feast.
Marketers will need to adapt to these changing spending habits. Taylor Schreiner, director of Adobe Digital Insights, said mobile shopping should lead to better buying experiences.
"Shoppers are already capitalizing on Black Friday discounts online in the early hours of the morning, gearing up for a record Black Friday we expect to match last year’s Cyber Monday. Mobile shopping continues to skyrocket and see increased conversion. Retailers understand that shopping and buying on smartphones are now the norms for consumers, and as a result are delivering better experiences and optimization on mobile devices," said Schreiner.
Some retailers are already adapting. Optimized browsing and checkout experience on smartphones have resulted in 5.2% shorter smartphone visits on Thanksgiving compared to last year, according to Adobe.
Data from Salesforce shows traffic from social climbed 41% this season, proving the platform can be a strong referral source. Online, consumers are talking most about retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, and eBay, and brands such as Starbucks, Vizio, and Nintendo.
According to Salesforce, mobile usage surged after 4 p.m. and peaked between 8 and 10 at night, local time on Thanksgiving day. Marketers are starting to recognize the need to get off to a fast start, as Thanksgiving email sends increased 26% compared to last year.
Rob Garf, vice president of strategy and insights at Salesforce, explained why mobile is an early driver of holiday spend.
"With an increasing number of retailers closed on Thanksgiving, shoppers turned to digital. According to Salesforce data, on Thanksgiving day mobile traffic to retail sites reached 68% and shoppers placed more orders on phones than on computers for the first time, at 54%," said Garf.
Last year, 62% of traffic came through mobile, according to Salesforce.
Research from Salesforce shows that shoppers aren't waiting for Black Friday anymore; they're shopping online all week, with buying peaking right after Thanksgiving dinner.
Consumers are window shopping from their couches, and gravitating toward mobile to find what they want when they want it, and at the price that's right for their budget. Retailers that continue to optimize their mobile experiences and marketers that find personalized ways of reaching consumers online will inevitably come out ahead.