New Syndigo Research on Black Friday-Cyber Monday Shoppers Uncovers the Influence of Product Content on Holiday Sales Success

CHICAGO, Illinois — December 07, 2023 — Syndigo, a leading SaaS commerce data management provider, today released their latest original research report, “Unwrapped 2023: ​Product Content Performance in Peak Holiday Periods.”

The report focuses on what holiday shoppers thought about the product information and images they viewed online during the Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping days and how it influenced their purchasing decisions. It offers valuable buyer insights for brands, distributors, and retailers working hard to increase sales during the final weeks of the holiday shopping season. 

Overall, what we learned is that despite the investment many brands have made in developing online content, consumers are still noticing gaps in data availability and consistency, meaning there are still opportunities to improve and grow conversions.

“Holiday sales in November and December are a critical element for success across brands and retailers,” said Benny Blum, SVP of Product. “Our report reveals the importance that product information plays in shopper choice—and the challenges shoppers face when they don’t get the right product information delivered the right way. This hurts retailers and brands alike, from lost sales to higher return rates and negative brand experiences.”

Key Report Findings

Syndigo’s research identified several shopper challenges, confirming that fast and easy access to rich information about products that remove friction to making the sale is falling short. Here are several key report findings:

• Nearly 1 in 4 shoppers (23%) often or very often encountered situations where a product appeared differently in promotions and marketing materials compared to what they saw online or experienced in-store. Inconsistency of product information across different channels is a significant contributor to cart abandonment and returns: Previous Syndigo research showed 43% of consumers recently abandoned a purchase because they could not find sufficient information about it, and 62% thought less of a brand when its products were not completely and accurately represented online.
• Holiday sale shoppers sought basic images of products and packaging (46%) when making purchase decisions online at a much higher rate during the Black Friday-Cyber Monday shopping events than the rest of the year (30% in our consumer survey from August).
• Just one or two days after this shopping event, 23% of shoppers had already returned or were planning to return a product because it didn’t meet expectations based on information they had at the time of purchase.

Other insights in the report include the influence of product content on customer experiences, brand perception, buying behavior, and more during Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping.

Survey Methodology

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,404 adults who shopped during this year’s seasonal promotions. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28th – 30th November 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).

About Syndigo

Syndigo powers modern commerce by enabling the continual flow of data and content throughout the entire commerce ecosystem. With industry-leading data management, syndication, and analytics, combined with the largest two-sided network for content distribution, we deliver accurate information that improves decision-making and accelerates sales on every shelf.

Syndigo serves more than 12,000 manufacturers, and 1,750 retailers and distributors globally across key industries including grocery, foodservice, hardlines, home improvement/DIY, pet, health and beauty, automotive, apparel, oil & gas, and healthcare. For more information and insights, visit syndigo.com and join us on LinkedIn.