Ixer writes:
UK retailers adopting post US Thanksgiving Thursday with Black Friday sales may have cashed in. However, as reported on major media outlets, many retail websites crashed under the pressure of thousands of shoppers looking for online bargains. Most retailers, even big ones, were unprepared for what happened.
If this can affect the retail giants, it will certainly impact smaller online retailers and channels. What this shows is a lack of planning on the part of the retailers. The big players should know better. I can only presume that the bottom line did not take into account the need for robust systems to deal with a sudden increase of visitors and demands on the e-commerce systems.
When thinking of a special promotion with an online aspect, it is critical to involve the IT service providers to ensure that there are enough resources for increased capacity; for visitor numbers as well as, critically, the ability of the online payment and cart systems to deal with heavy use. Otherwise the customer will quickly go elsewhere.
Furthermore, consistent and regular conversations with IT providers will allow a business to develop a strategy that will include this critical component rather than take it for granted. It will also highlight the importance of IT systems within the business and its development. Businesses can only deliver reliably online if all stakeholders are aware of what their capability is when delivering to the public.
Conclusion: Talk to your IT people on a regular basis!
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