Online orders have soared in 2020 compared with 2019, but reduced average order value this Black Friday weekend suggested consumers have either been waiting for end of Lockdown two and the opening of high street stores, or being ‘shopped out’ throughout Black November and the rest of 2020.
This is according to global delivery experience platform Sorted, which has announced a 53 per cent increase in shipping volumes through its platform through November 2020, compared to the same month in 2019. Although November 2020 saw an increase in demand, Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend saw a 60 per cent dip in online order values over the weekend in comparison to 2019.
It follows a trend that has polarised retail throughout 2020, with online sales consistently higher than normal. In the second week of November 2020, Sorted, which provides delivery experience software for many of the UKs major retailers, saw 112 per cent increase in volume through its delivery platform compared to the same week last year. This indicates that Christmas shopping started much earlier than it has traditionally and coincided with the second lockdown.
This data comes after other experts in the industry warned of major delivery bottlenecks with an additional 200m online orders expected in the run-up to Christmas this year – 50 per cent more than last year – as purchases online overtake those on the high street for the first time.
Sorted also reported that this November saw a 29 per cent increase in volume in comparison to the highest peak in 2020 – May – as consumers flocked online during the first lockdown.
“There is no doubt that the lockdowns have massively distorted how, when and where consumers are spending and this has carried into the Black Friday weekend,” said David Grimes, founder & CEO of Sorted. “Rather than traditional peaks and troughs, we have seen a steady stream of constantly high order volumes since spring this year and that has once again stepped up a gear across the whole of November.”
Grimes concluded: “The huge increase in delivery volumes is a good sign for retailers, but the work doesn’t end there. There is a monumental job to be done in ensuring the right products get to the right people and at the right time, and we’re here to support our customers year-round. Irrespective of how ‘peaky’ or unpredictable consumer shopping is, the importance of delivering a five-star customer experience must not be lost.”
Sorted provides agile and data-driven shipping software, with dynamic checkouts, delivery management and delivery tracking for some of the biggest global carriers and customer-centric retailers.
