Black Friday 2020 was impacted by the second lockdown in England, leading to a huge surge in online ordering right across November.
Now, as the pandemic restrictions appear to be nearing an end, the peak trading period is coming into focus once again. At this two-day virtual event, we’ll consider plans for Black Friday and peak, looking at insight around launch dates, discounting patterns, the types of campaigns retailers run and our expectations for peak trading in 2021.
This virtual conference will ensure you are prepared to succeed during the upcoming peak periods.
Agenda
Day 1: Wednesday 15th September - Campaigns and operational efficiency
09:30 - 09:40 AM
What were the sales patterns from Black Friday 2020?
Which categories recorded the strongest demand, and how was the sales growth distributed across the various types of retailer?Matthew Walsh, Director of Data & Retail, IMRG
09:40 - 09:50 AM


What type of Black Friday Retailer are you?
In this session you will find out what the best strategy is for Black Friday? Is there such a thing as going too early? And are new customers acquired during Black Friday a valuable asset to your business?Spencer Davies, Client Development Director, Epsilon
10:05 - 10:25 AM
Panel: Insight to inform your Black Friday campaigns
- How did retailers build successful campaigns in 2020?
- Which elements stood out best?
- How should they approach their 2021 campaigns?
10:35 - 10:45 AM
Learnings from Black Friday 2020 – information and countdown clocks
What impact did the various types of messaging on retail sites have on conversion and spend, and to what extent does using urgency messaging (such as countdown clocks) boost it?Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRG
10:45 - 10:55 AM
Session TBC
Session TBC 10:55 - 11:05 AM
Learnings from Black Friday 2020 – environmental messaging
For the past two years IMRG have tracked the number of retailers using environmental / sustainability messaging (such as ‘Green Friday) for their campaigns. How have the number of participating retailers grown, and does it have any impact on sales growth?Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRG
11:05 - 11:15 AM
Session TBC
Session TBC 11:15 - 11:30 AM
Retail Keynote Q&A
Attend this session to find out how Boux Avenue approach their Black Friday strategy, looking at shifts in customer behaviour and channel mix during the peak trading period.Victoria James, Senior Online Trading Manager, Boux Avenue
11:30 - 11:40 AM
Panel: Achieving operational efficiency during peak trading
- What areas of the site experience should retailers focus on?
- Are we better equipped to handle peak volumes logistically following the pandemic?
- What about the post-purchase customer experience
12:00 - 12:10 PM
How has the share of spend across Black Friday week changed?
Looking at the past few years, how has the share of sales fallen across the weeks of November, and the days of Black Friday week itself? How will that change in 2021?Matthew Walsh, Director of Data and Retail, IMRG
Day 2: Thursday 16th September - Discounting and expectations for Black Friday 2021
09:30 - 09:40 AM
Are discount rates getting bigger or smaller?
How did the rate of discount offered by retailers change between 2019 and 2020, and how does that vary by type of discount (site-wide, up-to a certain percentage etc)?Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRG
09:40 - 09:50 AM
Session TBC
Session TBC 09:50 - 10:05 AM
Retail Keynote Q&A
Attend this session to find out how a book retailer approaches Black Friday, in a category where some have tried to resist the discounting event to the point of organising alternatives.Kieron Smith, Digital Director, Blackwell's
10:05 - 10:25 AM
Panel: How should retailers use their stores during Black Friday?
- How will the offline and online balance resettle?
- Should retailers look to drive footfall?
- Should they primarily use stores for fulfilment purposes instead?
10:25 - 10:35 AM
Session TBC
10:35 - 10:45 AM
When will discounting campaigns launch in 2021?
How has the launch date for retailers’ Black Friday campaigns changed in recent years, how does it compare against standard discounting campaigns in November, and when will they launch this year?Matthew Walsh, Director of Data and Retail, IMRG
10:45 - 10:55 AM
Session TBC
Session TBC 10:55 - 11:05 AM
Expectations for Black Friday 2021 pt1
In this session we will analyse how online demand has been impacted by the continued loosening of COVID restrictions, and look ahead to how the overall market may perform during peak this year.Matthew Walsh, Director of Data and Retail, IMRG
11:05 - 11:15 AM
Session TBC
Session TBC 11:15 - 11:30 AM
Session TBC
Session TBC 11:30 - 11:50 AM
Panel: Techniques for customer acquisition and retention
- What approaches should retailers take to acquire new customers?
- How should they approach different customer segments?
- How can retailers retain customers acquired during Black Friday?
11:50 - 12:00 PM
Session TBC
Session TBC 12:00 - 12:10 PM
Expectations for Black Friday 2021 pt2
In this session we will analyse how online demand has been impacted by the continued loosening of COVID restrictions, and look ahead to how various product categories may perform during peak this year.Matthew Walsh, Director of Data and Retail, IMRG
Keynote Speakers
Bio:
Andy has worked at the heart of the online retail industry since 2010 – researching and producing reports on trends and developments affecting the sector. During that time, Andy has developed strong knowledge in multiple areas of online retail, with particular expertise in Black Friday. Andy is also a frequent conference speaker and media commentator.Andy Mulcahy
Srategy & Insight Director
IMRG
Bio:
Matthew is responsible for all of the data and market reporting that IMRG publish. He produces the IMRG CapGemini Retail Index which is the largest and longest running eCommerce benchmark in the UK.Matthew also regularly provides data presentations to our retail members explaining the latest trends in ecommerce. Matthew is the first point of contact for our retail members.
He has valuable retail experience having worked as an analyst for a top UK retailer and at one the largest online marketplaces in the world.
Matthew Walsh
Matthew Walsh, Director of Data & Retail
IMRG
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John Smith, Co-Founder & CEO, The Axis Group
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eCommerce Growth
Customer Optimisation
Customer Behaviour
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