Click Frenzy Mayhem 2020

The circumstances surrounding this year’s Click Frenzy Mayhem event were a little different. Australians were placed under partial lockdown due to the global pandemic, there were restrictions on social activities and the trading hours of physical retail stores, and screen time was at an all-time high as people stayed home.

Because of these unusual circumstances, data from the Rakuten Advertising APAC affiliate network shows that order volumes across Australia grew on an average of 49% month-on-month from January through to May. Research conducted by Rakuten Advertising also shows that nearly half of the publishers surveyed experienced increased site traffic over the course of the lockdown period.

With many retailers participating in the Click Frenzy Mayhem event or offering strong promotions to align with the promotional period, the year-on-year performance of the event shows a similar growth trajectory. Rakuten Advertising network orders doubled YoY, and sales increased by 45%. Sales numbers show that Apparel & Accessories eclipsed High-End & Luxury as the top performing category and, as expected, Travel experienced a sharp decline.

While it has to be acknowledged that the event was held over three days (May 19-21, 2020) instead of the usual two (May 21-22, 2019), clicks remained steady YoY which means a similar number of consumers participated in the event.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the data and find out what our YoY comparison reveals.

Top Performers

Apparel & Accessories topped the charts this year, accounting for more than a third of total sales and overtaking High-End & Luxury as the number one category. Beauty & Personal Care sales increased by 629% YoY as consumers shift their focus to self-care while they stay home.

As consumers find more ways to entertain themselves while staying indoors, our data shows that during the Click Frenzy Mayhem period, the average order value of Consumer Electronics across our network increased 1.5 times YoY. Their four-legged companions also benefitted as Pet retailers saw a 600% uplift across clicks, orders and sales. Lingerie & Intimates sales also soared, growing 1708% YoY which aligns with trends identified at the start of lockdown.

Revenge Spending

When travelling the world is no longer a viable option, our performance data shows Australian consumers shifted their funds towards other verticals such as Apparel & Accessories, Beauty & Personal Care, Housewares and Footwear, coining the term “revenge spending”.

Unsurprisingly, network data over the Click Frenzy period reveals that Travel sales dropped by 98%. On the other hand, Housewares and Footwear, neither of which has ever had more than 4% share of total sales, grew by 629% and 340% respectively.

Staying Home

While consumers adapt to life at home and the need to stay connected with family and friends higher than ever, Telecommunications category saw a 574% YoY growth in the number of orders during this year’s Click Frenzy Mayhem period.

Peripherals, Software and Consumer Electronics are also in high demand with sales growing at 663%, 390% and 318% YoY respectively as more consumers set up their home office to work from home for the foreseeable future.

Overall, the Click Frenzy Mayhem promotional period drove an uplift in retail sales and orders, highlighting shifts in consumption habits as Australians adapted their lifestyles to lockdown restrictions and become more reliant on online retailers. It will be interesting to see if this growth can be sustained in 2021 as online shopping becomes the new norm.

If you’d like to find out how your brand can leverage the next Click Frenzy event, visit rakutenadvertising.com and speak to an expert today.