Boots’ largest Black Friday sale led to digital chaos as systems buckled under pressure.
- The high street brand’s app and website experienced repeated crashes, frustrating many shoppers.
- Shoppers reported being locked out or stuck in virtual queues on the platform.
- A temporary queuing system was implemented to cope with the surge in demand.
- Boots confirmed the issues were resolved quickly and operations returned to normal.
Boots, a leading health and beauty retailer, faced significant technical challenges during its proclaimed largest Black Friday sale. The heavy online traffic caused both its app and website to crash repeatedly, leaving many potential customers unable to access services. The disruption resulted in a slew of complaints from frustrated shoppers who took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction.
Reports highlighted that many users were locked out of the website on Tuesday morning, while others trying to use the app encountered sluggish performance or complete inability to load. This situation was exacerbated by a message displayed to users, admitting the site was “rather busy with Black Friday shoppers,” and informing them of their placement in a temporary virtual queue.
A spokesperson for Boots attributed the technical difficulties to “extremely high demand” during the sales event. To manage this unexpected influx of online shoppers, a temporary queuing system was instigated. According to the spokesperson, this measure was only necessary for a short period before systems returned to normal functionality, ensuring continued customer access to the plethora of over 22,000 promotions being offered throughout November.
The retailer’s Black Friday sale aligns with a wider trend of growing popularity for the event in the UK since its introduction by Amazon in 2010. With high street and online retailers increasingly participating, the sales period has become a critical opportunity for pre-Christmas deals and consumer engagement. Despite the technical hiccups, Boots maintained a proactive stance, launching various promotions and advertisements, including featuring well-known personalities to captivate the audience.
Boots effectively managed the digital disruptions and swiftly restored their online services, maintaining customer engagement despite initial technical setbacks.
