RIP Black Friday
Is Black Friday a thing of the past?
Black Friday is a tradition among Americans and the kick-off to holiday shopping. A day where hoards of people line up outside retail stores in the brisk, dawn hours to ensure that they receive the best prices on anything from computers to comfy sweaters. It is a time where fist fighting over a smartphone is acceptable, and our society happily embraces the idea of increasing the annual revenues of retailers across the country.
Enter the plot twist
However, Black Friday is becoming a thing of the past. The idea of seasonal shopping and promotional sales limited to just the brick-and-mortar stores are no longer the way consumers want to shop. In fact, retailers have made three significant changes to the idea of Black Friday and are altering the script on how we purchase our holiday gifts.
Retailers are no longer extending price reductions and deals to just the storefront but are providing shoppers with online sales and deals. They are changing their marketing pitch to downplay the significance of Black Friday being only one seasonal day of shopping and are starting deals as early as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and extending the hours into the weekend. They are also embracing the internet in two distinct ways: by providing online deals that mirror the store prices and creating a shopping day that occurs solely online, AKA “Cyber Monday.”
Sorry, Not Sorry…Black Friday
Essentially, retailers are changing their overall marketing strategy to mimic our societal shift towards buying items online and making the internet do the work. They are sending a “new” message to their customers…a message that says, “Hey, we know you want to buy your holiday presents while sitting on your couch in your pajamas, so check out our online deals.” Retailers understand that our society is no longer willing to stand outside a store and wait for a coupon ticket unless they are getting something epic in return and even then, the deal better be outstanding.
With this marketing shift, retailers are trying new avenues to reach their clientele and looking outside the box to get their numbers up over the holiday season. They are modifying their marketing message to meet the needs of everyone: 1) Hey consumer, not willing to leave your house on Black Friday? Feel free to check out the online deals. 2) Want to shop at the store? Here is a free pair of headphones and an online coupon to make it worth your while. They are creating an all-inclusive shopping experience, and the American consumer loves it!!!
Change your view of Black Friday or go down with the ship
Change is inevitable, and we all know that, so it is important for retailers to try different avenues to entice their customers and try new things when it comes to their marketing and how they reach their client base. The idea that if you resist this change, you will go down with the ship (and so will your revenue). With 7.4 Billion dollars estimated this year for online sales over Black Friday and reports of nearly $98.9 billion being spent online between November 1st-31st, it is hard not to think that the United States is shifting to online deals rather than the in-store sales. At Big Red Dog Marketing, we understand that shoppers will never completely abandon the brick and mortar stores, but we also understand the numbers behind online shopping. According to Adobe, we are estimated to surpass online sales of $143.9 BILLION this year (up 14.1 percent from 2018)!!! Let me give you a minute for that to set in!
The right stuff, baby!
Now that you have had a minute to let those numbers marinate, let me sum this up as simply as possible. As a retailer (or anyone selling a product for that matter), you need to make sure that you are presenting the consumer with the right message, under the right conditions and providing them with the right marketing strategy on the right platform. If you send this unified message, then you will maximize your return and embrace the consumer shift towards online sales and marketing.
Need help?
If you aren’t quite sure where to start your journey to online marketing, feel free to give us a call for some advice. Big Red Dog Marketing would love to be the reason you embrace the new Black Friday and increase revenue for your business. Give us a call at 919-926-8727 or email us at hello@bigreddog.marketing.