New research reveals mobile has become essential for Belgium merchants this Black Friday
An eCommerce report sponsored by Ingenico Group (Euronext: FR0000125346 – ING), the global leader in seamless payment, has uncovered opportunities in Belgium for growing online merchants – especially those taking advantage of the rising mCommerce trend. Combined with Ingenico’s 2018 Black Friday insights, the research reveals how Belgian consumers will shop this Black Friday.
The survey conducted by Belgian eCommerce association, SafeShops, analysed the shopping preferences of Belgians from different regions, age groups and genders. According to the report, both eCommerce and mCommerce are still on the rise, revealing new opportunities for online retailers to tap into the increasing pool of mobile consumers.
The survey also highlighted an opportunity for smaller marketplaces, with most Belgians (63 per cent) preferring to shop with smaller, more local marketplaces such as TWEEDEHANDS.BE. Larger international marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and AliExpress were found to be less popular in the region.
Over the year the number of Belgians that buy online on a weekly basis has increased from 14% to 20%. While one in three Belgians (32%) says they will shop online more frequently in the future. Ingenico’s 2018 Black Friday study also reflected this growth in online shopping in the region, with almost half (45%) of Belgians opting to go digital for the peak sales shopping season.
The number of Belgians using their smartphone to shop online has also risen by 26% since 2017, and tablet use has increased from 14 % to 21% over the past year alone. Over a third (37%) of Belgians also prefer to use apps rather than websites.
Ray Bak, sales director, UK, Belgium and Netherlands, Ingenico, commented: “It is becoming more common for Belgians to shop by mobile, tablet and app across online sales all year round. It is now clear that any merchants who do not integrate the mobile channel are going to lose business in Belgium – equating to huge potential losses during the busiest sales days of the year.
“Online sales are rising and the ways people want to shop are diversifying. Consumers may be turning to smaller, more local businesses, but merchants need to optimise mobile and localise their payments systems to cater to evolving consumers.”
For the best conversion rates this Black Friday, Ingenico recommends that all merchants have mobile-optimised web stores and localised payments when targeting consumers outside of their domestic market. Offering preferred currencies and payment methods for each region, such as iDeal for the Netherlands and Carte Bancaire for France, will help Belgian merchants to tap into the growing cross-border opportunity.
Ingenico has also developed a social media toolkit to help businesses promote their Black Friday 2019 operations and draw in new customers. Merchants can download the toolkit here: https://business.ingenico.com/black-friday-social-media-toolkit.
For more peak sales insights and advice for targeting consumers in Belgium and beyond, visit: www.ingenico.be/peaksales.
