The build up to Christmas 2014 has seen an increase in online shopping with many turning to the likes of Amazon, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer to name just a few! The latter receiving so many orders that fulfillment and deliver partners just couldn’t handle the unprecedented volume this year.
The UK online stores have embraced the American idea of Black Friday, but from my experience there’s a lot of work to do to handle the traffic on the websites.
This is my story of Currys in the build up to the infamous Black Friday.
On the Wednesday I visit Currys to see if there’s any information on the deals or products that they may be running. I hit this screen… I’m placed in a queue to visit a webpage! Not seen that since I went on the BBC Last Night of the Proms ticket registration page – admittedly as the end credits were rolling!
I sit there for a while staring blankly at the loading wheel, only to reveal that I’ll be able to access the website in 6 minutes. Now bear in mind that this is at 10pm…
A little while longer, still staring at the little animated gif, to discover I’m one of a mere 12,613 people who are more than likely also staring at the the loading whole or the green progress bar. I’m left wondering how many others are thinking ‘is this really going to be worth it!’
Now I’m a patient person! A very, very, very … VERY patient person! After all this waiting I’m presented with a countdown clock of how long I have to wait until the Black Friday deals become available… I’d love to know just how many other 1000s of people waited patiently in a queue to see the countdown clock!
It’s now Friday. I’m on my way to work to many others, sitting in a crowded train making it’s way into London. Along with the vast majority I’m intently focused on my mobile screen! And clearly with an even bigger majority … in a queue to access the Currys’ Black Friday deals! With over an hour wait, suffice to stay I didn’t stay around long enough to see what number I was in the queue…
Black Friday & Queues to get onto websites!
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