Notes / Conversion Works
Can Black Friday shoppers find the right model without opening ten tabs?
Learn how to spot comparison friction before Black Friday, choose the right decision aid, and test completed purchases instead of tool clicks.
By Edu Rigonato. Published Sep 11, 2026. 12 min read.
A Black Friday shopper can understand the offer and still have no idea which model to buy.
That is the part I think a lot of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) planning misses. We build the campaign page, add the discount, update the collection and assume the promotion will do the rest. For a considered purchase, the promotion may get someone into the catalog. It does not automatically help them choose between two products that look almost the same.
BCG surveyed 10,240 consumers across ten markets in 2025 , including the US, Canada, UK and Australia. Nearly 60% said they begin researching year-end deals in October or early November, but only about one-third had already chosen the exact product and brand. These are stated intentions rather than observed purchases, but they make the planning problem clear: a meaningful part of the audience is still deciding what to buy while comparing the price.
My recommendation is to find where that product decision starts to break down before adding a comparison table, quiz or another filter. Look for the repeated behavior, identify the question the customer is trying to answer, and check whether those sessions also progress less often. Then test the lightest answer at the point where the loop begins.
How should shoppers compare products before Black Friday?
The customer should be able to compare the few differences that change whether a product is right for them. They should not need to memorize three product pages or decode a full specification sheet to get there.
That sounds simple, but the deciding criteria change by category. A sofa customer may need dimensions, seat depth, material and delivery access. An appliance customer may need installation width, power requirements, capacity and haul-away. A wellness-device customer may need intended use, portability, included attachments and the difference between the standard and professional model.
What I would not do is start with the interface. “We need a product finder” is not the hypothesis. “Customers cannot tell which model fits a 30-inch opening” is a hypothesis we can investigate and design around.
Frequently asked questions
How much product-page cycling is too much?
There is no universal number. Start with your own product family and compare sessions that view two or more sibling PDPs with sessions that move directly to a product. If the cycling group progresses less often and recordings or customer language reveal the same unanswered question, you have a stronger reason to test that part of the journey.
Is a long time on a product page proof that the customer is confused?
No. A customer may be reading carefully, watching a useful video or leaving the tab open. Use time with event sequences, recordings and commercial progression. Repeatedly opening the same details or moving between sibling products tells us more than duration alone.
Should every store add a product comparison table?
No. A table makes sense when a small set of products has comparable attributes that materially change suitability. A broad assortment may need filters, a compatibility problem may need fitment, and an unfamiliar category may need a short finder. The customer question should determine the treatment.
What should we include in a Black Friday product comparison?
Include the exact model or generation, the few differences that change use or fit, the regular and promotional price, included items or services, delivery and the main return or warranty terms. Keep the full specification available without forcing every detail into the comparison.
What should the primary A/B-test metric be?
Use completed orders or revenue per visitor in most ecommerce tests. Treat clicks on filters, comparison tables and finders as diagnostic measures. Add margin, returns, cancellations and support contacts as guardrails when the treatment can change product selection.
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