By Hemang Nathwani, Sales Director at Price Trakker Discounting is one of the most familiar tools in retail, but its effectiveness depends as much on timing as on the depth of the offer. A well-timed campaign can drive growth and strengthen loyalty, while poorly timed promotions often cut margins without delivering demand.

What do trends show?

IMRGs Black Friday 2024 report noted that online revenue for the week rose by 3.1% year-on-year, despite forecasts of decline, and the most popular headline discount was between 20 and 29% off. Meanwhile, data from Nationwide suggested a 12% rise in online spending among UK consumers during the same week. These figures highlight that promotional timing remains a key factor in performance ” especially when visibility is high, and campaigns align with shopper expectations. Timing also plays a role outside peak trading. Household spending in the UK tends to cluster around payday. Promotions aligned with these cycles often outperform similar campaigns placed mid-month, particularly in discretionary categories like health and beauty where purchase intent is closely linked to available income. Competitor behaviour adds another layer. When many retailers discount simultaneously, promotional noise increases, making it harder to stand out. Retailers who monitor competitor pricing activity and identify quieter windows often see stronger returns ” with fewer margin sacrifices ” by running campaigns during periods of lower promotional density. Customer psychology is equally important. Research from NielsenIQ shows that repeated discounting on the same products can weaken long-term price perception, encouraging customers to wait for offers. Spacing promotions more carefully can help protect willingness to pay full price, while still capturing demand during critical windows.

Example 1:

For example, a UK-based department store trialled two promotional strategies across their homewares category in Q4 2024. In one region, promotions were launched three weeks ahead of Black November. In the other, campaigns were timed to begin one week before peak, after monitoring local competitor activity. The latter group outperformed by 14% in conversion and achieved higher margin per unit sold.