Online retail giant Takealot.com experienced a record-breaking Black Friday with 33% growth year-on-year in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) as well as more than 3 million visits on the day. The GMV has surpassed any other Black Friday in performance history.

"From a top sellers and brands perspective, at Takealot.com we expected this Black Friday to be dominated by a demand for TVs, large appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, etc., loadshedding essentials (power stations, UPS), laptops, smart watches, fragrances, sports equipment as well as household essentials. This projection held true with these products being amongst the first to be snapped up when the clock struck midnight," said Takealot CEO Frederik Zeitsman.

R190,179 - largest single basket value

The most orders placed by a single customer on the day was 58 orders and the biggest single basket value was R190,179. The top item sold by units was Ballantines Finest Scotch Whiskey, the top item sold by GMV was the Hisense 58” Smart TV, and the most valuable item sold was the Samsung 75” Smart TV.

Zeitsman attributed the strong performance to the increased adoption of online shopping and the access it provides to retail, particularly as consumer behaviour has geared more strongly towards online buying trust, following the global pandemic, he said.

"There are also interesting 'check out' consumer patterns and behaviours to be seen in the group’s Black Friday performance data, for example, there was strong site traffic seen at midnight which showed a high level of interest in being 'first' to access the deals on offer. Orders were also consistently strong throughout the day with purchase peaks seen during the early morning, lunchtime and early evening.

24-hour live shopping experience

The CEO noted that the retailer's 'First for South Africa' 24-hour Live Shopping experience was a success both operationally and in terms of the response from customers. Close to 10,000 South Africans joined the Live Shopping streams with over 7,000 coupons issued to shop booster deals across top brands.

In terms of the 24-hour Live Shopping experience, the top-selling Live Shopping event was for Hisense TVs with an offer for an extra R1,000 off the already discounted price point on the Takealot.com Blue Dot Sale. The fastest-selling stream featured Under Armour products.

"Ultimately, Black Friday has confirmed once again that South Africans actively look for unprecedented value and deals that are customised to their lifestyle and budget, together with superior shopping experiences," Zeitsman said. - (Source Bizcommunity) 

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