Black Friday 2024 is not over yet, but has already surpassed all predictions. Well, almost all, because at Monta, last year’s Black Friday record was already broken last Monday. And again on Tuesday. Edwin van der Ham, CEO Monta: ‘Our software can make very accurate predictions based on data and AI, so at the beginning of this week we already knew approximately how many orders would come in on Black Friday today. Thus, for us it’s not so much a surprise, but that doesn’t decrease our enthusiasm! Of course, it continues to be incredibly exciting for both our webshop customers and ourselves that Black Friday this year leaves previous records far behind.’

Number of Black Friday orders rising across borders

In the Netherlands, the number of incoming orders at Monta has increased by an impressive 49% compared to last year. In addition, Monta is also seeing changes in the number of orders across borders. Van der Ham: ‘Abroad, we even see a growth of no less than 68% compared to Black Friday last year. So foreign consumers seem to have found their way to Dutch webshops. Germany in particular is gaining popularity as a final destination for consumer orders from Monta’s webshop customers.

Popular product categories Black Friday 2024

During Black Week, from Friday to Friday, Monta saw explosive growth in orders. For instance, a major fashion brand reported an impressive 177% increase in orders. In addition, orders were also high within the home-accessories category, skin care products and children’s toys. Obviously understandable categories with the holiday season approaching. Supplements and health-related products are also gaining popularity, partly due to the significant discounts during Black Friday, making them more accessible to consumers.

More parcels via more carriers

One of the reasons why Monta’s customers are growing so fast is due to the Checkout Module, which allows consumers to choose during checkout which carrier, when and how the parcel will be delivered to their home. This not only benefits consumers, this benefits the entire chain. After all, not every consumer needs to receive his or her parcel immediately the day after Black Friday. By spreading this over carriers and delivery moments, peaks in orders are easier to manage.

Decrease in stock and less items sold out

In Monta’s warehouses, significantly less stock was stored this year ahead of the peak rush. Despite this, the percentage of products sold out has dropped thanks to advanced sales forecasts and stock recommendations from Monta’s software. Van der Ham: ‘We want to ensure that online entrepreneurs stock the right products in the right quantities, thereby saving them unnecessary inventory and storage costs. In addition, they reduce the number of backorders, which of course is good for customer satisfaction.’

Van der Ham is excited about what the rest of the day will bring: ‘That peak will continue to grow for a while, in the early evening hours more consumers will shop online. This makes it extremely busy in our 18 warehouses. That’s why every year at Monta, all colleagues jump in and help in our warehouses. The atmosphere within our warehouses is wonderful. By the way, we are currently processing almost 10 parcels per second. That won’t stop for a while!’