Exposed: The seven deadly sins of online Xmas shopping

With Black Friday heralding the launch of the festive period for most consumers, brands have been warned to beware of the seven deadly sins of online shopping which are likely to test consumers’ patience to the limit, triggering “rage clicking” as well as a mass exodus to sites offering a better experience.

A new study by digital experience analytics specialist Contentsquare reveals that the biggest bugbear for shoppers is slow website loading times (20%), followed by excessive pop-ups (19%, item unavailability (19%) and lack of quick-purchase checkout options such as Apple Pay or PayPal (17%). Sites that are still not configured for mobile (9%) and promotions that do not work work correctly (8%) make up the pain points.

However, when it comes to cart abandonment, the issues are much more serious, with more than half of shoppers (54%) saying they they would go elsewhere this holiday season if a brand’s website or app loads too slowly.

In addition, more than one-third said they would not finalise a holiday purchase when they reach the checkout page if a promotion does not work, lack of free shipping will deter 25% from finalising their purchase, and 15% would leave if the checkout page was too slow.

This new consumer data is supported by Contentsquare’s Benchmark 2022 holiday analysis, which showed that shoppers’ online behaviour changes significantly during the holiday shopping season compared to the rest of the year.

Contentsquare chief customer officer John O’Melia said: “Ease of shopping and reduced annoyances are critical for online consumers. We’ve seen from internal data that while cart abandonment is lower during the holidays than at other times of the year, the high occurrence of ‘rage clicking’ indicates shoppers are also more frustrated during the holidays when shopping online.

“Retailers that ignore these issues do so at the risk of losing a significant amount of customers and sales.”

Meanwhile, a separate study by VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals just how high the stakes are, with retail sales predicted to hit £8.74bn across Black Friday Weekend as consumers make the most of the discounts available.

Retailers are predicted to see the highest spend figures of the Black Friday Weekend on Cyber Monday, with sales predicted to reach £3.34bn, a 6% YoY increase compared to the £3.17bn spent in 2022. In comparison, retail spend on Black Friday itself is set to fall 0.2% to £3.01bn – down £6m from 2022.

Despite rising living costs putting pressure on personal finances, two-fifths (40%) of consumers say they are likely to make a purchase over the Black Friday Weekend. With this in mind, it is expected that for each minute over the weekend, retailers will generate £2.63m both online and in-store this year, equating to £157.79m every hour – rising 0.6% YoY.

When it comes to the items consumers are snapping up first, nearly half (46%) of shoppers plan to buy big-ticket items such as electricals, followed closely by discounted clothing and footwear (44%), toys (35%) and cosmetics (30%).

VoucherCodes.co.uk senior commercial director Michael Brandy commented: “After a tough year of economic uncertainty and with consumers being cautious with their spending, it’s good news that UK retailers can expect to see Black Friday Weekend sales remain steady.

“It’s clear from our data that people will be using the weekend to stock up on presents ahead of Christmas, however, shoppers will be making much more considered purchases this year – with many expected to wait until Cyber Monday to ensure they are getting the best deals.

“This year more than ever, retailers should think about how they can provide genuine value and make the customer experience as convenient as possible. Offering services such as free shipping, click and collect, and nominated day delivery can help build loyalty with your customers and differentiate you from your competitors.”