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?
IMRG’s 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.
Example 2:
Another case involved a specialist health and beauty retailer who realigned their monthly promotions to coincide with common payday cycles. While the average discount remained unchanged, weekly sell-through increased by 9% compared to earlier months where timing wasn’t considered.
Example 3:
A fashion retailer held back on discounting during the early-November promotional surge and instead launched targeted offers during the lull between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With fewer competitors promoting during that gap, they saw increased visibility on marketplaces and reduced CPC on paid campaigns.
What to these examples tell us?
These examples reflect a broader trend. Many successful retailers are using pricing and promotional insight not only to decide what to discount, but when. Dynamic calendars built around internal data, external trends, and competitor activity allow teams to fine-tune their timing — and reduce reliance on blunt, reactive offers.
Retailers with access to live market data are also experimenting with margin-based rules — for example, delaying deeper discounts until stock age or performance thresholds are met, or applying temporary discounts when a key competitor moves. These approaches help balance sales goals with profitability.
Taken together, the evidence shows that promotional effectiveness is shaped as much by the “when” as the “what.” Aligning campaigns with seasonal peaks, pay cycles, and competitor movements allows retailers to capture demand more profitably and reduce the risks of over-discounting.
About the author:
Hemang Nathwani is Sales Director at Price Trakker, a provider of competitor price monitoring and pricing insight for leading UK and international retailers.
Part of the IMRG Solution Partner Insight Series
Published 19/09/25
