(Finance) – Officially starting today Black Friday which, together with Cyber Mondaywill give rise to a turnover of approximately 4 billion euros between online purchases and in physical stores. According to research by Codacons 47% of citizens will certainly purchase at least one product during the discount period (+5% compared to last year), but if we also consider the portion of “undecided” people and those who will decide at the last minute whether or not to join the offers, the percentage of those interested jumps to 85%. “The lion’s share will once again be played by the web, with over 6 out of 10 purchases (65%) being made online on the various e-commerce platforms, for a value of digital transactions of over 2.6 billion euros “, underlined the consumer association.
The trend of taking advantage of Black Friday to bring advance sales also continues Christmas gifts: based on Codacons estimates, as many as 1 in 2 purchases made during the discount period will be a gift to relatives or friends during the holidays, thus consolidating the trend of recent years which records a shift in Christmas consumption from December to end of November.
At the top of the ranking of the products most searched for by consumers this year is the fryer with air and it toothbrush electricbut interest in the sector is growing footwear (with 42% of citizens interested in making purchases in this sector), clothing (39%) e accessories (38%), but also towards cosmetics and beauty products (32%) e toys (30%) – analyzes the association.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday originated in the States United but they have become unmissable events for global shopping: Black Friday is known for its discounts in physical and online stores, Cyber Monday focuses mainly on digital offers.
Allianz Tradethe world leader in credit insurance, presented research on the retail sales market with a focus on online sales.
The market ofe-commerce has nearly doubled since 2020 and is expected to surpass 4 trillion dollars in 2024. By 2029, it will reach approximately $6.5 trillion, maintaining an annual growth rate (CAGR) of +9.5% over the next five years, slower than the +13.5% recorded in the previous five years . This significant growth continues to be driven by two dominant players: the China – which represents 36% of global e-commerce revenue – and the United States – which contribute 30%. The United Kingdom drive in Europe with 19% of e-commerce revenue (3% of global total), followed by Germany with 15% (2% globally). However, the region as a whole lags significantly behind, accounting for just 15% of global e-commerce revenue, a share that is expected to remain stable through 2029.
Research has highlighted that the platforms social average they are increasingly driving sales. Social revenues (i.e. the portion of online revenues generated via social platforms) have increased enormously in recent years, particularly in markets such as China and India. In these countries, the ratio of social platform revenue to total e-commerce revenue tripled between 2018 and 2023, reflecting the rapid integration of social commerce into consumer purchasing habits
It is also gaining an increasingly central role in the retail sector.Artificial intelligenceeven though it is in the early stages of developing AI-based solutions. In particular, retailers are increasingly turning to AI technologies to improve operational efficiency, increase customer engagement and boost profitability. Based on a recent market survey, marketing automation leads the way, with 49% of retailers planning to leverage AI for this purpose, reflecting its key role in personalized customer targeting.