Make sale season memorable

Payments user experience can make or break your sale season success

Research suggests 3 out of 5 adults in the UK are planning to take advantage of Black Friday deals, with anticipated holiday spend of almost $25 billion (Adobe, 2024). Deloitte’s US holiday survey predicts an 8% increase in spend globally against last year, which means merchants will need to accommodate more shoppers and more traffic to convert more transactions successfully.

As we enter the most exciting shopping period of the year for both customers and retailers, a fabulous user experience is not a luxury but a necessity. The modern consumer is increasingly sophisticated with high expectations that can make or break their purchasing journey.

The digital frontier for peak retail

Deal shopping around the retail holidays largely takes place online, with 71% of shoppers preferring online environs (Deloitte, 2024). Choice, rewards and convenience all play a part in pleasing customers and this includes offering choice in how to pay.

Our own research shows that 94% of consumers want choice in how they pay; and 92% expect fast checkout processes. With one-click checkout being near-synonymous with convenience, it’s unsurprising that 84% of surveyed shoppers think having the option to check out and pay with one click is important.

Tip: Make payment pages short, clear and easy to use for a convenient experience with less chance of drop-off.

When it comes to payment methods, 66% of our respondents said they would be open to using Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) in the future. In fact, 57% of shoppers said they had actually selected a retailer based on the payment types they accepted, showing that payments can serve a marketing function.

The flipside is get it wrong and shoppers may go elsewhere: 44% of transactions are at risk when a store does not accept shoppers’ preferred payment methods.

Better service

Ninety-seven percent of shoppers identify free or fast shipping as a factor in deciding where to shop. Likewise, 96% want easy returns and fast refunds. A marriage between rapid shipping and offering speedy returns can drive all-important loyalty that keeps shoppers picking your store over others.

High volume shopping events are also a great opportunity for retailers to reward shoppers with generous loyalty schemes and perks that set them apart from the competition. Some of these benefits can help extend the shopping season into quieter times.

Your next step

Want to dive deeper into these insights? Download our comprehensive Payments Performance Retail Report and unlock the strategies that could define retail success this shopping season.