Black Friday on the web

littleman · November 27, 2011, 01:57:30 AM

Its anecdotal, but I'm seeing a lot more sales commissions from Black-Friday than I have in the past several years. Usually I see a gradual raise in sales as Christmas approaches and then a dramatic decline as it gets to be too late for pre-Christmas shipping. This year, however the Friday after Thanks Giving was really really good Ac-cross the board. I am surprised, most of the merchants I work with are not big-box companies. I guess a lot of people are trying to avoid crowds and seeing what they could find online.

buckworks · November 27, 2011, 05:10:10 AM

I've just ordered all my Christmas gifts but one, online. It's a major stress reducer!

Zwart · November 27, 2011, 03:23:19 PM

Isn't the Monday-after-Black-Friday meant for all the online xmas shopping? Or so I've heard....

4Eyes · November 27, 2011, 06:52:29 PM

I know the theory of 'black friday' - but it is not something that we have had in the UK in the past (what with not having a Thanksgiving etc).
Although with the amount of cross-culture leakage we seem to have these days, I guess that is likely to change.

What I don't understand, is the 'why' behind the rush to shop on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day - am I missing something, or is it an invented marketing opportunity?

Most likely I am missing something, as I do most of my Christmas shopping - such that it is - on the last shopping day before Christmas whilst muttering 'humbug' under my beard.

Gurtie · November 27, 2011, 09:48:15 PM

Amazon in the UK seem to do some pretty good black friday offers - they make quite an event of it. I'm not sure how many people actually sit with their fingers poised during a working day though, to be honest.

Brad · November 28, 2011, 12:40:01 AM

I think it is, in part, invented. Black Friday has always been a big shopping day in the US, because many people have the day off from work. But retailers started scheduling sales for the day to prime the pump and get people out and shopping, and then the news media hypes it with the hope that big, worked up mobs of shoppers will do something newsworthy.

Also, we are no longer a society of citizens, we are a society of consumers.

4Eyes · November 28, 2011, 01:38:19 AM

Quotebecause many people have the day off from work.

ahh.. that's the thing I was missing I suspect.

littleman · November 28, 2011, 06:53:29 PM

Yeah, Black-Friday has been huge in the walk-in space for a long time now, but what I'm really surprised about is how much of a boost I got on Friday & Saturday this year. I think a lot of online merchants must have been running special promotions for BF.

It seems like a good strategy vs. cyber-Monday where many consumers are already shocked at how much they spent and are going to hold back.

Brad · November 28, 2011, 08:29:22 PM

>already shocked at how much they spent

I think that is true. Amazon ran daily Black Friday sales for the whole week prior - some with very good deals - and I think it was a wise move as it siphons off the money before the bricks and mortar stores can.

As for shopping: many people consider it a pass time or almost a recreational opportunity and therefore Black Friday is like going to Comicon or driving in Grand Prix. I don't understand it but to each his/her own I guess.