The Black Friday offer that led to 180% growth in order values for London Sock Co.

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London Sock Co. offers premium socks and sock subscriptions designed to bring their customers comfort, style, and convenience while inspiring them to Walk Brighter each and every day. 

And because London Sock Co. values quality above all else, they don’t typically discount their products. After all, their socks are worth the price tag—which is why Forbes named them the “King of Socks”.

So, how does a business focused on quality approach a season known for heavy discounts without straying from the integrity of their brand? Discover the successful strategy that London Sock Co. used to drive 34% of revenue with email during Black Friday in 2020.

The winning offer

People expect discounts during Black Friday, even on premium products. So, to meet customer expectations, London Sock Co. offered a soft discount during the sale time period—but with a twist.

Our products are high quality, so we want to avoid simply discounting them. To add value and stand out from the Black Friday noise for customers instead, we give two pairs of socks to homeless charity, Crisis, for every purchase during this period.

Jack Richards, Head of Campaigns and Partnerships, London Sock Co.

For the entire month of November, London Sock Co. offers a 10% discount alongside their charity donation. And to make the sale extra special, they launch it exclusively to email subscribers at the beginning of the month, weeks before Black Friday itself.

There’s no denying it—this offer shows the brand’s character, which is key to building a relationship with customers during a period that’s typically overwhelming and chaotic for consumers. 

This promotion might be a nontraditional approach to growing a business during Black Friday, but it resonated deeply with London Sock Co.’s audience: Customers purchased 4.5 products on average during Black Friday, which is over double industry standards, according to Klaviyo benchmarks. This ultimately led to an impressive 180% increase in London Sock Co’s average order value (AOV) during Black Friday.

The typo that sweetened the deal

Another way London Sock Co. made waves—and revenue—with their Black Friday offer? They showed their brand’s integrity after making a mistake. 

One of their Black Friday emails had a typo offering to donate 22 pairs of socks to charity instead of 2. They then sent an email to follow up with their customers, acknowledging their error, and pledging to make good on their mistake: 

“In our last email we accidentally pledged to donate 22 pairs of specially-made, warm socks to charity with each order instead of 2. Oops. Not one to go back on our word, though, that is exactly what we’ll do.”

The London Sock Co. team was delighted with the outcome.

By sticking with their principles, London Sock Co. grew their revenue by 142% during Black Friday—and surely made some lifelong customers with their memorable display of brand personality and honesty.

After we stood by our typo, we got a wonderful response from people. One customer messaged us saying, ‘I was going to buy my Christmas presents in a couple weeks, but I’m doing it now to make use of the offer, just to give back more.

Jack Richards, Head of Campaigns and Partnerships, London Sock Co.