Redbubble, Cotton On reveal Black Friday numbers

Internet Retailing

2nd Dec 2016

This year’s Black Friday event was both more mobile and more global than ever before, with a number of Aussie retailers participating in the traditionally US shopping event.

Among the Australian retailers advertising Black Friday discounts last weekend, Redbubble and Cotton On stand out as local brands that already had an established presence in the US, giving them a head start in bringing the shopping event to their global customers.

“This year marks the third year we’ve been involved in the Black Friday sales event,” Felicity McGahan, Cotton On’s general manager, said.

“We’ve seen a growing number of customers shopping online to access the high-value sales during Black Friday in the US. We wanted to give our global customers, including Australia and New Zealand, the same opportunity, which has been very well received across all our markets.”

Cotton On recorded 87 per cent year-on-year growth in its instore sales in Australia over Black Friday weekend, accounting for an uplift of almost $3 million in sales.

Meanwhile, Redbubble saw an estimated gross transaction value (GTV) of $6.36 million over the sale weekend, up 27.4 per cent from the same period last year.

The online marketplace also saw year-on-year growth in its newest markets, with GTV soaring 77 per cent in Germany, 43 per cent in France and 69 per cent in Spain over the weekend.

“Black Friday was very big for us,” Redbubble’s CEO Martin Hosking told Internet Retailing, sharing his tips for a successful event.

“You need to have a strong offer, good creative to cut through people’s inbox and have built up a segmented and effective email program. You also need to have really honed your paid marketing skills because everyone in the US is trying to get through to the same people.

“It is also going to be a lot about your repeat customers so you had better have built a loyal customer base. Finally mobile is fundamental and here you need to have a really strong responsive site.”

Both Redbubble and Cotton On said the Black Friday sale has provided a solid start to the holiday trading season.