Why Black Friday has turned grey…..

Remember when Black Friday first became “a thing” across the UK? 2010 felt a huge buzz radiating across retail, initiated by Amazon who sold shoppers the dream of massive discounts and deals available for one day only. Fast forward to 2019… TV adverts begin to mention the event in October, deals often start a month early and for an extended period afterwards.

Who is Boycotting Black Friday?

Christmas POS, displays and seasonal products are installed at the start of September in most major high street retailers. Christmas+ Black Friday + January sales have now become a 6 month event! Running from September to February, the dilution of Black Friday has almost made it a grey period in the retail calendar. Some retailers have now abandoned the notion of Black Friday completely – Deciem (health & beauty) have boycotted the day, by closing stores and switching their website off for a day of nothingness!  Over 200 brands in France have agreed to avoid any discounts on Black Friday.

Are there any deals out there?

We all know shoppers are looking for an experience and we all love a bargain but one “key” day just doesn’t seem to deliver this need anymore… One day of bargain shopping created a buzz, one month of bargains creates a diluted more relaxed approach to shopping, 6 months of offers and discounts seemingly has a negative affect on shoppers who have become more and more disengaged with the notion of the event. The hype appears to be over, shoppers have lost their enthusiasm and trust in the discount day. Research by Which has confirmed that there are few genuine bargains after tracking prices of multiple products six months pre and post Black Friday. Infact, Which found that 61% of electronics products on offer were cheaper on at least one day in the 6 months prior to the Black Friday event!

Brands & Retailers V Black Friday

So what should Brands and Retailers be doing next to engage with shoppers at this crucial time in the retail calendar? Innovative and engaging retail displays are of course vital, positioning is also crucial at this time of year when store space is at a premium. Shoppers don’t want to be pressured by time restraints, now that shopping is considered as more of a social/leisure event. Consumers are much more aware that hyper-consumerism poses a big threat to the planet, they are not only environmentally conscious but aware of their own well being and aim to reduce pressure and stress where it doesn’t need to occur (eg shopping).

So if Global Brands and Retailers are going to rethink their Black Friday strategies for 2020, they need a new solution, we are solutions driven and thrive on solving retail challenges. 25 years of experience on the high street has taught us a thing or two about customer engagement – talk to us now about Christmas 2020 in your store or for your Brand.