A survey conducted in early November 2016 by One Hour Translation, the world’s largest online translation agency, which provides translation services to thousands of global e-commerce companies, indicates that 27% of U.K. consumers plan to buy online on Black Friday (November 25th), compared to 10% who plan to do so on Cyber Monday (November 28th).
The U.K. survey, which covered 600 respondents, was a part of a global survey that was performed by One Hour Translation in cooperation with Google Consumer Surveys among a total of 3,400 participants in 8 developed countries: the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Australia and Japan. In the survey, One Hour Translation asked: “In what day or days are you planning to do your online shopping this year?” The respondents could select more than one answer. The survey analysed 1,000 responses in U.S., 600 in the U.K. and 300 in each one of the other 6 countries.
In the U.S., around 26% of the respondents plan to buy online on Black Friday, while around 28% plan to do so on Cyber Monday. The average of the 8 countries surveyed shows that 16.5% of the respondents prefer to buy online on Black Friday, compared to around 9% on Cyber Monday – data that clearly show that Black Friday, which became a popular shopping event in the U.S. during the 1960s, is becoming a significant online shopping event outside of the U.S.
In Canada, 19.5% of the respondents said they plan to buy online on Black Friday, compared to 8% on Cyber Monday. In Germany the scores were 12% and 8% respectively. In Spain, 29% of the respondents said they plan to buy online on Black Friday, compared to 5% on Cyber Monday. The results in Australia were 11% for Black Friday, compared to 6% for Cyber Monday. The male respondents in Australia scored 17% interest in Black Friday.
Black Friday is still struggling to make it with French online shoppers. The survey showed keen interest among 18% of the French surveyed between the ages of 25 and 44 in Black Friday online promotions, but there was no interest whatsoever among those above 45. The overall level in France was 7% for Black Friday and 2% for Cyber Monday.
Japan seems to show the least interest in the Christmas season online shopping frenzy. The results in Japan were 5% for Black Friday and 3% for Cyber Monday. Nevertheless, the results show higher rates of interest in the 25-34 year-old segment where 13% showed interest in Black Friday and 10% for Cyber Monday.
Millennials lead the holiday season online shopping frenzy
One Hour Translation examined the holiday season online shopping patterns across different ages in the surveyed countries. In general, young people between 18 and 34 show a strong tendency to buy online during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
In the U.K., 29% of the 18-34 year olds said they intend to buy online on Black Friday, compared to 12% on Cyber Monday. In the U.S., 44% of the 18-34 year olds surveyed said they plan to buy online on Black Friday, and 42% on Cyber Monday.
The 35-64 age group has also shown lower percentages than younger people. In the U.K., 25% intend to buy online on Black Friday and 10% on Cyber Monday; in Canada, 18% and 8% respectively; in the U.S., 21% and 23% respectively; in France, 7% and 2% respectively; in Germany, 13% and 7%; in Australia, 10% and 4% and in Japan, 5.5% and 3%. Spain stood out, with 31% of the 35-64 age group opting for Black Friday, but only 6% for Cyber Monday.
Other interesting data pertain to those 65 or older. in both the U.K. and Australia, Cyber Monday the draws interest of 5% of this group, while it draws no interest with this segment in Canada, France, Spain and Japan and 14.5% in Germany. In contrast, 36% of those 65 or older in Spain say they would buy online on Black Friday, compared to 13% of this age segment in the U.K., 9% in Australia, 14% in Germany and 0% in Canada, France and Japan.
“The Christmas holiday season online shopping events are the culmination of the preparations by the world’s largest e-commerce players, which began in early 2016,” said Ofer Shoshan, Co-Founder and CEO of One Hour Translation. “These preparations included upgrading and localizing websites in order to adapt them to shoppers all over the globe. The survey we conducted proves that Black Friday, a shopping event that was considered purely American, is becoming popular even in major non-English speaking countries.”
Shoshan summarized: “The e-commerce players understand than in order to boost their sales and reach wide audiences all over the world, they have to make their websites accessible to consumers in their own languages.”
