On Black Friday last year, 40 items sold every second on eBay UK and a whopping 90% of those purchases were from a small business. Today, eBay UK has announced that they are prepping for its ‘smallest’ Black Friday yet, with 66% of the UK planning to use this day to purchase Christmas gifts from small businesses.
Since the pandemic, shoppers are not only thinking more about what kind of businesses they spend their pounds with, but also how they make more money to fund new purchases, with 30% of the UK planning on selling unwanted items ahead of this Black Friday.
Murray Lambell, General Manager of eBay UK said: “In a time where there is uncertainty around stock and supply, what eBay can offer to shoppers is our secret weapon - a diversity of over 300,000 agile UK small business sellers with a distributed supply chain that can give them more choice - whether they are looking for the new, the refurbished, the coveted, or the hard to find this festive season.
With rising cost of living pressures, we are also seeing that people are getting savvier by selling items they have lying around the home to help fund Black Friday and Christmas - this comes with a bonus that they also feel good that they are doing their bit for the planet by keeping things in circulation.
We predict the country will experience its ‘smallest, savviest’ Black Friday ever this year with people across the UK turning their focus on supporting small businesses while gearing up to take advantage of the incredible deals eBay has on offer and make money by selling things they no longer need.”
EBAY’S TOP PREDICTIONS FOR BLACK FRIDAY 2021:
#1: Shoppers seek out small
Shoppers will think small business first this year, with a third of the nation set to shop small this Black Friday. The diversity and scale of sellers on our marketplace makes it easier for customers to have more choice when doing their festive shopping this year. With the ongoing supply challenges, if shoppers can’t find what they’re looking for, they can turn to any of the other 300,000 and more small businesses on eBay.
#2: Buy a thing, sell a thing
With wallets tight, a quarter of shoppers (24%) will pick up extra hours at work to help cover the cost of festive purchases and a third (30%) will fund by selling unwanted items - not only to help cover the cost of Christmas, but also to free up space around the house to home new purchases. eBay is encouraging this ‘one in one out’ buying and selling behaviour to make both the cost of living and the planet more sustainable.
#3: Refurb wins
With 50% of the UK planning to shop more consciously this Christmas, eBay expects that 2021 will see Black Friday shoppers opting more for refurbished products from it’s Certified Refurbished hub - a way to get as good as new tech and appliances for a fraction of the cost and that are better for the planet. All certified refurbished items are in Grade A condition, have been given a trusted stamp of approval by eBay and come with a one year warranty so you can shop great deals from top brands with confidence.
#4: Cleaning up the deals
The home continues to take centre-stage in UK lives and eBay predicts that refurbished vacuum cleaners will be the most sought after items this Black Friday, with Dyson and Shark lined up for some heavy discounts. Apple and Samsung refurbished smartphones will also be high up on the list, followed by athleisure clothing and shoes from the likes of Adidas, Puma and New Balance.
#5: Santa’s come early
Having missed out on last Christmas and eager to get ahead, 3 in 4 people (77%) are planning to do their Christmas shopping on Black Friday in 2021.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor
*Based on eBay UK data 1st Nov 2018 - 1st Dec 2020 and survey of 2000 UK adults conducted by OnePoll 22nd-27th Oct 2021