Algolia, the leading API Platform for Search & Discovery, reported year-over-year (YoY) online consumer search results from Black Friday through Cyber Monday increased 5% to 12.4 Billion (from 11.7 Billion in the previous year). Algolia’s partner, Shopify, saw record-breaking search operations across 4,000+ Shopify shops on Black Friday alone with a 72% YoY increase across Shopify shops since 2020.
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“While consumers did not complete online purchases during Cyber Weekend in 2021 at the record-rate they did in 2020, the increase of in-store shopping and online searches showcases the importance of multi-channel marketing strategies to convert online searchers to in-store shoppers,” said Bernadette Nixon, Chief Executive Officer of Algolia.
Anonymized search data from Algolia’s top retail customers, from Black Friday through Cyber Monday 2020 vs. 2021, provides insights into changing consumer shopping behaviors. The apparel & fashion industry, for example, saw a 58% increase in searches showing retailers that online shopping habits created during the pandemic are here to stay. On the other hand, searches for cosmetics decreased by 30%, showing a preference to shop for more personalized goods in-store where consumers are able to test products before purchasing.
Marketers can learn from consumers’ BlackFriday/Cyber Monday Weekend behaviors. For example, according to a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Dynata, more than half (52%) of respondents noted that they use a retailer’s online cart as a way to bookmark items as they search other sites; when looking at Millennials and Gen Z, these numbers jump up to 63% and 60% respectively.
“As we near the holidays, last-minute shoppers will rely on products and services they can purchase or pick up quickly,” added Nixon. “Leveraging your e-commerce site to attract in-store activity through hyper localization of search – where retailers display in-stock products available for pick up at the nearest physical store – will be a key differentiator for retailers. This method of shopping allows consumers to quickly secure gifts without the frustration of shipping delays or going to the store only to find the product they’re searching for out-of-stock.”