European eCommerce marketers struggle with Black Friday personalisation

New research highlights that while nearly all European eCommerce marketers view personalisation as critical for success, over a quarter struggle to implement it during Black Friday, a significant sales period in the retail calendar. The study, which surveyed more than 150 eCommerce leaders across the UK, Germany, Spain and Poland, also exposes operational challenges, with many marketers under pressure due to high workloads and slow response times.

Personalisation challenges

The vast majority of marketers, at 99%, see personalisation as essential to boosting eCommerce performance. However, 27% admit difficulties in tailoring offers during Black Friday. This capability gap persists even as 25% acknowledge failing to convert new customers into repeat buyers following major campaigns, signalling missed opportunities for long-term customer retention.

Another 24% of respondents indicate they are unable to act quickly on real-time data, limiting their ability to optimise offers and improve customer experiences at crucial moments.

Workload pressures

The high demands of peak retail periods weigh heavily on marketing teams. Almost half, at 47%, report being time-poor or only just managing their workloads. This finding suggests that limited capacity may be a barrier to executing personalisation strategies effectively during events like Black Friday, when quick decision-making and campaign flexibility are often required.

Customer impact

Despite the execution gap, many marketers point to the tangible benefits of personalisation throughout the customer journey. Over half (51%) say that personalisation has improved customer retention, 46% report higher engagement rates, and 41% associate it with increased revenue. These outcomes reflect the commercial value of data-driven approaches but underline that not all organisations can consistently deliver them.

Future focus

Looking ahead, marketers are planning further investment to address current challenges. More than a third (37%) intend to deploy new personalisation tactics in the coming year. Customer journey mapping is a key priority, with 43% citing it as a focus area, while 45% are set to invest in advanced visualisation tools to better understand and respond to customer behaviours.

Industry response

"Personalisation is rapidly becoming essential for cutting through the noise in today's crowded inboxes," said Phil Draper, CEO, SALESmanago. "The data shows a clear opportunity. With the right personalisation technology, marketers can bridge the gap between strategy and execution, turning one-off buyers into lifelong customers. Ultimately, this unlocks greater loyalty and revenue."