As we return to the office after a long holiday weekend and begin to dig out our inboxes, it is impossible not to notice the huge increase in email volume last week tied to Black Friday. Black Friday has been a key sales day for retailers for years and typically sets the tone for the holiday season, but it is also clear that email marketers have embraced this event and used it to drive significant revenue growth.
 
According to ShopperTrak, retail sales rose .5% for Black Friday compared to 2008, but Online sales surged. According to an NRF survey, one-fourth of Americans shopping over the weekend (28.5%) were shopping online. Comscore reported that consumers spent $595 billion online, or 11% more than they spent in 2008.

Notable trends:

• Increased message frequency - experienced email marketers know they need to contact their customers more frequently during the holiday season to stay well positioned in the inbox and to keep hot deals top of mind. On average I received 3-5 emails from my favorite brands last week.
• Sales started early - many Black Friday sales started as early as Tuesday, and "doorbusters" were available online in the early evening on Thursday
• Free shipping isn't enough - most email marketers combined free shipping with 10-25% discounts
• Coupons are important - visits to coupon sites grew 17 percent versus a year ago to 3.3 million visitors
• Consumers still like their circulars - A study conducted by Deloitte before Thanksgiving found that 40% of consumers were still going to turn to print to get their deal info, and many etailers like Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, and ToysRUs acknowledged this preference by including links to the circulars in their email messages
• Mobile is making an impact - PayPal is reporting that mobile online payments surged nearly 650% compared to last year, and TheFind reported a 120% year over year surge in search queries on Black Friday.
• More marketers used social media to reach out to consumers with Facebook and Twitter promotions heading the list, and more consumers used their social networks to arm themselves with research prior to making in-store and online purchases

Brace yourself! Today is Cyber Monday and your inbox is bound to get another serious workout.