Black Friday has traditionally been seen as the high point of the festive shopping season, but this year’s later date – and the extended pattern of Christmas buying behaviour over the past few years – is reshaping how brands should approach Q4 2024, with valuable lessons for the future…
Sales patterns from the past few years have clearly shown that, while Black Friday itself remains significant on Amazon, the event is increasingly becoming a peak in an extended November sales period rather than the festive season’s starting gun.
The complexities of Q4 2024
Midway through November, our CEO Andrew Banks ran a LinkedIn poll to gauge trading sentiment this month compared to last year.
The results showed that:
- 44% of brands are trading up
- 27% are holding steady
- 29% are trading down
This paints a complex picture of Q4 – and it also raises questions about how December will shape up, not to mention what strategies brands should adopt to maximize the overlap between Black Friday’s tail end and the Christmas rush.
The rise of the long November sales period
New research by eBay Advertising UK highlights that two-thirds of UK consumers have already started their holiday shopping, with only 7% waiting until December to buy gifts.
And this trend toward a longer, more gradual shopping season fundamentally changes how brands should think about Black Friday and beyond.
Instead of a single-day frenzy, Black Friday is now a key milestone within a month-long wave of promotions, meaning brands need to look to a more sustained and targeted approach.
While the festive shopping period is evolving, with consumers starting earlier and spreading out their purchases, key moments like Black Friday remain critical for driving sales. Sellers may need to rethink their approach to peak season—not by abandoning big promotional periods, but by complimenting them with targeted strategies throughout the season.
Billy Mills, Sr Director, Global Advertising, eBay
What This Means for Amazon Sellers
Amazon brands need to view November as a marathon, not a sprint.
With Black Friday sales extending into early December – and then likely to be followed by a rapid pivot to pre-Christmas discounts – a clear and proactive strategy is more important than ever.
What does that mean? Our experts recommend you focus on:
1. Avoiding stock imbalances
It’s all-too easy to face leftover inventory challenges during peak periods. Careful demand forecasting and inventory management are the keys to staying agile as consumer spending ebbs and flows.
2. Super-strategic Advertising
Well-timed campaigns are crucial for staying visible during this extended season. Whether it’s leveraging Sponsored Products or running high-impact Black Friday deals, look to creating consistent, relevant visibility all through December.
3. Emphasising value
Consumers are increasingly intentional in their spending, prioritising deals that offer value over impulse buys. Making sure that your product pages and campaigns clearly communicate your brand’s unique benefits and the pull of any applicable discounts will be vital for converting savvy shoppers.
Need help to maximise your Amazon sales success? Speak to our award-winning team today
Speculating on December’s Landscape
As Black Friday extends into early December, downtime is likely to be minimal before the Christmas buying frenzy kicks in – and this creates both opportunities and challenges.
Our experts recommend you look to:
1. Sustaining momentum
You’ll need to keep your brand visible and relevant, maintaining your presence throughout December to capitalise on steady consumer demand.
2. Generating targeted engagement
Yes, broad promotional periods drive volume, and that’s great – but combining a wider footfall with tailored campaigns designed for niche audiences can deliver higher returns.
3. Staying as agile as possible
A late Black Friday means Sellers need to seamlessly shift from one phase of promotions to the next without missing a beat, so agility is crucial. How do you stay so agile? We’ve said it before (and will say it again), but accurate, real-time data is the key.
And if you’ve been caught out this year? Make the most of what you can and simply dust off, learn from your challenges and build a stronger foundation for next time.
The Bottom Line
This year’s peak trading season isn’t being driven by big events like Black Friday, it’s a strategic interplay of promotions across an extended November-December period – and it’s likely to stay this way for the foreseeable.
Sellers who adapt to this new rhythm – focusing on agility, value and consistent engagement – will be best positioned to close their Q4 sales on a high note.
With our commitment to commercial clarity, rigour and vision, our expert team is perfectly placed to help your brand thrive – no matter how the marketplace landscape twists and turns.
Ready to transform your Amazon approach? Let’s chat.