During Cyber Monday, UK consumers shop for clothes and fashion three times more often than on a normal day… Ahead of the season of big discounts and Christmas shopping, PromoCodius provides insights into UK consumers’ online shopping habits on Cyber Monday.
Cyber Monday: one of the world’s biggest shopping days
Cyber Monday, a day of online shopping discounts on the first Monday after Thanksgiving, counts as one of America’s biggest shopping days, but the UK is not lagging behind. In 2023 this huge shopping day falls on Monday, November 27.
| Important dates of shopping days in the UK 2023 | ||
| Black Friday | Friday, November 24 | |
| Cyber Monday | Monday, November 27 | |
| Christmas sales | Boxing Day, December 26 (sales usually last until the middle of January) | |
Due to statistics by promocodius.co.uk, it is the time of year when 59% of UK consumers look for various products online in search of discounts.
During this time, UK consumers who shop online are most likely to buy clothes and fashion accessories (65%), but they also spend money on toys and hobby items (55%), jewellery and watches (54%), as well as on consumer electronics, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets or electronic home appliances.
In 2023, similarly large sales volumes are expected in each sales category, however, PromoCodius is already reporting a 12% increase in interest in discount codes and coupons to use during Cyber Monday compared to the previous year.
Photo: Interest over the last 5 years, source: Google Trends
According to PromoCodius, Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping promotions are gaining importance for UK consumers, with e-shopping on these days increasing by 27%, 12% and 32% respectively between 2020 and 2022.
Fashion was the largest segment for Cyber Monday shopping in 2022: the volume of purchases on this day of big discounts more than tripled the yearly average. Traditionally, these big shopping dates are associated with shopping foreign brands, but local players are also seizing the opportunity – more than 10% of the money spent by UK consumers via PromoCodius on these days goes to local merchants.
UK consumers shop online most often for clothes, toys and jewellery
Just as we enter this year’s holiday season, PromoCodius is releasing insights into the online shopping habits of UK consumers. 80% of UK adults surveyed made at least one online purchase in the 12 months covered by the survey. While Christmas is the occasion that most often motivates 59% of UK consumers to shop online, nearly 3 in 10 UK consumers say they do not need a special occasion to shop online.
Internet sales account for about twenty-seven percent of total retail sales in the UK. But during the Christmas shopping season, that share increases to 35 percent, driven by Cyber Monday, among other things. UK consumers shopping online most often look for clothing and fashion (65%), toys and hobby items (55%), jewellery and watches (54%), as well as consumer electronics (48%).
UK consumers are becoming more conscious of their online purchases
As many as 4 in 10 UK consumers (41%) who shop online estimate that their overall online spending will continue to grow. Of these consumers, 80% admit they value convenience when shopping online, 42% expect postage to become cheaper and 28% intend to spend more online due to a change in their income. When it comes to home shopping, almost half of UK consumers (47%) are concerned about the cost of postage when shopping online and 30% are worried about the hassle of returning goods to retailers.
UK consumers know that pre-Christmas sales are the best time to buy fashion designer collections, such as the latest Chanel handbag, for example, without having to spend the entire paycheck. However, consumers are also becoming more and more conscious of their online purchases. E-shoppers are aware that it is important to compare prices on different sites. That’s why they appreciate when prices are listed in the local currency, such as British pounds, because they can see at a glance if the item is affordable for them.
When shopping online, it is also important to them what the online retailer’s return policy is. If they buy shoes from an American e-shop, they don’t even want to think about how much postage they would have to pay to return them if the size doesn’t fit.
Free shipping and other benefits that UK customers appreciate
Small benefits, such as free shipping, can mean an increase in sales, not necessarily because of the money saved, but because of the illusion of savings. If, for example, reducing transport costs to zero means that product prices have to increase, it still creates the illusion that shoppers are saving.
Apart from free shipping there are other strategies helping to increase customers’ loyalty – for example, subscriptions and memberships with specific perks, such as small gifts, personal discounts or exclusive offers.
