# Should your e-commerce brand embrace Black Friday 2023? Weighing the pros and cons

As Black Friday approaches, the question on every e-commerce merchant's mind is whether they should participate or not. What started in the US has now become a significant part of the European e-commerce calendar.

Black Friday proves to be a lucrative revenue day for many e-commerce brands. However, it is essential to recognize that not all e-commerce brands are the same; each has its unique business model, and Black Friday might not be suitable for every Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brand.

In this blog, we'll explore the benefits and drawbacks of participating in Black Friday. By understanding these aspects, you'll be better equipped to make the right decision for your e-commerce brand as the big day approaches rapidly.

## 5 reasons why Black Friday is a great opportunity for your e-commerce brand

According to Fly High Media, [more than $40 billion was spent online during Black Friday 2022](https://www.flyhighmedia.co.uk/what-are-the-black-friday-2022-statistics/). It was more than any expert had predicted. The big spending on discounted items has largely been attributed to the worldwide cost of living crisis as shoppers tried to bag bargains and save money.

For many e-commerce brands, [Black Friday 2022](/content/guide/black-friday-guide/index.html) boosted average order spending. This is backed up by a Fly High Media survey, which found that the average spend on Black Friday deals in 2022 was up by €20.03 compared to 2021. As reasons to participate in Black Friday go, this is a huge incentive for many e-commerce retailers.

### 1. New customer acquisition

The high volume of shoppers looking for bargains on Black Friday and Cyber Monday creates a great opportunity for your e-commerce brand to attract new customers. People are ready and willing to shop, and will actively seek out new products and deals on the day.

Offering irresistible deals with eye-catching advertising can lead to an influx of first-time buyers that potentially convert to repeat customers. Black Friday is an opportunity to attract deal seekers, drive impulse purchases, and build brand awareness.

Even if a potential new customer doesn't purchase during your Black Friday event, they might think about your brand in the future.

### 2. Give people a chance to try your products for less

To win new customers, you have to give them a reason to buy from you. Reducing the price of certain products during Black Friday, which would otherwise be out of reach for some shoppers, gives people a great incentive to try them. Not only do they get a bargain, they get to experience your brand and the quality of your products.

Think of Black Friday as giving customers a taste of your products at discounted rates, shoppers recognizing their quality, and then going on to pay full price at other times throughout the year. You can offer deep discounts, product bundles or even doorbuster samples that enable customers to indulge in items they've been eyeing for a while.

### 3. Boost your revenue after the summer slump

Black Friday is a great way to get your revenue back on track if you've experienced a summer slump in sales. According to Digioh, e-commerce brands can see [gross sales drop by as much as 30% during the summer months](https://www.digioh.com/blog/strategies-ecommerce-summer-slump).

In fact, more e-commerce brands are actually [bringing forward their Black Friday deals](https://www.retaildive.com/news/black-friday-is-early-again-this-year-and-maybe-forever/609757/) to combat slow summer sales, while trying to tempt shoppers to bring forward their Christmas spending. Why? Because for many shoppers, Black Friday marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and they use the event to buy Christmas gifts.

You can take advantage of this to quickly boost your revenue following the summer dip.

For 2023 in particular, Black Friday carries greater significance for your e-commerce brand because shoppers are holding out for bigger discounts to save money before Christmas - certainly as the cost of living continues to rise.

Equally, you can leverage Black Friday to cross-sell or upsell items at discounted rates, potentially encouraging customers to buy higher-priced products. This can lead to increased average transaction values.

### 4. Clear your summer and autumn inventory

According to a CBC News broadcast, many [e-commerce retailers offer bigger and longer Black Friday sales](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF5dV30RoOQ) to shift excess inventory. If you want to clear out the last of your summer and autumn stock before Christmas, an extended Black Friday event is an ideal way to shift more items. Extending your sales event gives shoppers an extended buying period to bag a bargain.

Whether it's excess inventory or outdated products, you can offer discounts and run promotions to clear items that customers might have hesitated to buy at full price. This will allow you to introduce new stock in time for Christmas.

### 5. Boost brand loyalty

Black Friday is a great way to reward your loyal customers with early access to exclusive deals. This helps to strengthen brand loyalty while creating a sense of urgency, because if there's one thing that tempts shoppers to buy more than anything, it's FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out.

According to a study by Compare Metrics, [73% of shoppers express FOMO](https://searchengineland.com/shopper-fomo-what-is-it-are-you-dealing-with-it-189029) when searching for products online. You can leverage FOMO to good effect. For example, you could send out early access links to exclusive offers via email campaigns or apply an extra discount for customers who already subscribe to your emails.

Shoppers won't want to miss out on the discount, so they will buy more to get access to whatever deal you're offering.