Fashion and clothing retailers are expected to see the largest uplift in sales this Black Friday, 29 November, compared to last.
That’s according to a new report by digital PR agency Tank, which analysed keywords for over 150 retailers from November 2023 to October 2024 to reveal which companies and products are set to dominate search results.
The ‘Black Friday Readiness Report’ pinpoints the top five retail sectors expected to see the largest uplift in sales, with fashion topping the list with an expected 123% increase in web traffic this Black Friday.
High street favourite Marks & Spencer is currently set to receive the biggest jump in website traffic compared to last year at 1,456%, followed by Debenhams at 295% and John Lewis & Partners at 134%.
After fashion came electronics, with an expected 76% uplift, then beauty and personal care (48%), home appliances (42%) and health and wellness (19%).
Fashion aside, some of the brands currently leading the way include Apple (270%), global beauty retailer Sephora (248%) and The Body Shop (184%).
Intriguingly, the biggest decline in organic traffic by sector is furniture and home décor at -39%, followed by fitness and sports equipment at -19%, and smart home devices at -8.4%.
The report comes amid growing criticism that Google updates are directing more online traffic to news sites with affiliate links, rather than retailers’ pages – potentially disadvantaging even big brands.
Martin Harris, Head of Digital at Tank, said: “Fierce competition is standard during events like Black Friday and, while retailers probably didn’t expect to be competing with news sites in search engine results, they can stand out by maintaining high positions in organic search. Not only can they drive traffic to their website and improve sales, but they can take back traffic and revenue from affiliate content.
“This year, the run up to Black Friday is even more important as sales are expected to rise dramatically. It’s never too late – retailers have around a month to strategise and improve visibility, whether that’s creating Black Friday keyword content, implementing paid ads or social media marketing.”
