WATCH OUR SHORT WEBINAR TO FIND OUT WHY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN EMAIL Esendex logo ‹ Esendex Blog Topics Black Friday 2021: What can we learn from UK search trends? Topic: Marketing, Retail, SME 22 November 2021 Black Friday week has officially started – with businesses and consumers alike, busy preparing for one of the most critical shopping day’s of the year. Black Friday and the festive period more generally, provides businesses with a great opportunity to attract new customers as well as grabbing the attention of existing ones. However, given that on average consumers in the UK are bombarded with between 6,000 and 10,000 ads or sponsored messages daily (even outside the festive season), it’s unsurprising that many businesses struggle to cut through the noise and effectively reach their target audience. As the battle of engagement intensifies, brands need to adopt increasingly effective campaigns and customer communication strategies to win favour and loyalty with customers. In order to lend companies a helping hand, we have analysed more than 400,000 online searches relating to Black Friday deals. By revealing trending products, split by UK city, we hope to equip businesses with the knowledge to ensure the most successful Black Friday sales to date. Black Friday 2021 searches by UK city Rank City Number of searches for ‘Black Friday deals on’ Population Searches per 100,000 1 Bristol 5,340 465,866 1146 2 Leicester 3,700 354,036 1045 3 Liverpool 5,020 500,474 1003 4 Newcastle 2,940 306,824 958 5 Manchester 5,000 555,741 900 6 Belfast 3,080 342,560 899 7 Glasgow 5,570 635,640 876 8 Coventry 3,310 379,387 872 9 Nottingham 2,900 337,098 860 10 Birmingham 9,380 1,140,525 822 11 Sheffield 4,260 589,214 723 12 Brighton 2,000 291,738 686 13 Edinburgh 3,480 527,620 660 14 Doncaster 2,030 312,785 649 15 Wigan 1,940 330,712 587 16 Bradford 3,130 542,128 577 17 Leeds 4,470 798,786 560 18 Wakefield 1,640 351,592 466 19 Cardiff 1,550 369,202 420 20 London 36,770 9,002,488 408 While northerners are often renowned for their love of a bargain, it is actually Bristolians who have made the most searches for Black Friday deals over the past 11 months. With a total of 1,146 searches (per 100,000 people) which included the phrase ‘Black Friday deals on’ it’s clear people in Bristol are keeping a close eye on any standout items which may be included in the sale. Consumers in Leicester are also keen to bag a bargain with 1,045 searches (per 100,000 people) related to Black Friday. In contrast, there has been a real lack of Black Friday shopping intent from those living in London, Cardiff and Wakefield with these three locations having the fewest Black Friday related searches per 100,000 people. On top of knowing which parts of the UK are searching for the best Black Friday deals, it is important businesses have an understanding of what’s likely to be trending on the day. Having analysed every search term which included the phrase ‘Black Friday deals on’ and ‘Black Friday sales on’ over the course of the past 11 months, we have identified five product themes which are set to dominate this year. Trending product themes for Black Friday 2021 Fitness tech & home workout equipment While most people may associate Black Friday with widescreen TVs, it’s technology of a slightly different kind which is proving popular this year. Apple watches are the 22nd most searched for item – with an average of 1,300 searches per month, and Fitbits also ranking in the top 35. Despite gyms reopening way back in April, many people still haven’t returned to their usual routines and have instead continued to workout at home. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, queries around home gyms/home gym equipment have proven to be extremely popular with searches remaining high since peaking at the end of December last year. Because of this, it can be predicted a substantial amount of money will be spent on fitness equipment again this Black Friday. Treadmills are the most desired item, with an average of 1,000 searches per month for ‘Black Friday deals on treadmills’, with dumbbells close in search volume. While it may be easy for businesses to presume there isn’t a demand for home workout equipment now restrictions have eased, this simply isn’t the case and there is clearly still a great opportunity for brands in the fitness and leisure industry to take advantage of. Tools for DIY From bathroom improvements to garden projects, many people turned their hands at a number of different DIY assignments during lockdown. While people’s gardens are unlikely to receive much attention over the next few months, Brits are still embracing DIY life as Black Friday approaches. Over the course of the last 11 months, there have been an average of 1,300 searches for ‘Black Friday deals on tools’, with pressure washers, drills and saws all proving popular. Home working equipment With hybrid and even fully remote working here to stay for many of us, plenty of people are looking for a bargain on work equipment. Monitors top people’s shopping lists with an average of 1,300 searches per month; other popular items include computers, keyboards and office chairs. Black Friday therefore presents businesses with a great opportunity to tailor their advertising towards those looking to create or even revamp their home office. Cameras After more than a year of extremely limited travel, many people are now taking full advantage of being able to holiday abroad – or even taking a well-deserved stay-cation, wanting to capture every moment on camera. There have been an average of 1,000 searches per month for Black Friday deals on cameras, making them one of the most popular items in the build-up to November 26. There have also been plenty of people searching for Black Friday sales on GoPros and drones, suggesting holidaymakers are more keen than ever to capture all of their favourite moments on film. Kitchen gadgets Arguably due to the rise of morning coffee breaks at home, there has been an average of 290 searches per month for Black Friday deals on coffee machines, making them the most in demand kitchen appliance. Closely behind coffee machines – with more than 100 searches per month, are Black Friday deals on food mixers. All suggesting that the love for baking many found during lockdown, has not dwindled. Feeling inspired to create your own targeted campaign? See our latest post detailing campaign essentials or get in touch with our experienced sales team at sales@esendex.co.uk, to see how Esendex can help you make the most of those last minute Black Friday communications. Share this: Demi Edmunds Hi, I'm Demi, Campaign Manager at Esendex and I benefit from experience across the marketing mix, in both B2C and B2B. I'm passionate about helping clients realise the full potential of multichannel communications and bridge the gap between brands and their customers. 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