Each year there is a day millions of shoppers around the world are looking forward to. By the time the sales start, people are surfing the sites to catch the best prices for their interest. Innovative retailers are expanding their capabilities and moving sales from real stores to e-commerce sites.
Now, shopping takes place in the locations and at the time that is convenient for customers – their homes, offices, bus stops, etc. They look for special offers on household goods, gadgets, gifts, plan trips, and buy tickets for the next year. If you are among these people, be sure about sales and prices by checking Black Friday sales ads already available.
Why Black Friday Moves Online
American stores and retailers have created huge discount sales on Black Friday to encourage people to spend money at Christmas time. It has become one of the busiest trading days of the year. Buyers lined up in huge queues, ran into shops at the moment of opening, and grabbed everything they saw from the shelves.
Despite its American roots, the Black Friday phenomenon has left the US borders and moved across the planet. Thanks to the Internet, it has been “exported” to the UK and other markets. Such large American retailers as Walmart and Amazon tried to promote it. Thanks to them, Black Friday sales have not only crossed the borders but moved the customers online. Is it really more profitable to do shopping online than offline? Let’s figure out.
Online or Offline?
Nowadays, many buyers are not so reckless about November sales. Most of them use special sites that allow them to track and compare prices. So, you can analyze and think whether the discount is included in the price or not. According to GfK FutureBuy, 45% of European consumers say they spent more time comparing prices in 2020 than in 2019. Mass media influenced this decision, urging buyers to be careful about sales, discounts, and promotions.
Meanwhile, if we are talking about large retailers’ deals, there is no difference if you purchase goods online or offline since prices are the same. However, you should also compare large retailers and smaller stores’ prices because there can be a difference. You can read more tips on how to save while shopping online by following the link.
The Future of Black Friday
Marketers predict the end of the Black Friday era because the younger generation pays more attention to the environment, so second-hand purchases of equipment and clothing are trending.
Black Friday has created a hype around pre-Christmas shopping, but a number of alternatives to the consumer craziness emerged. For example, with its partners from the Fashion Revolution, Greenpeace organized an event where artists held workshops on how to reuse creatively, repair, or recycle consumer goods.
In Canada, the alternative to Black Friday is “Buy Nothing Day,” an international day of protest against consumerism culture. On this day, actions and theatrical performances are held in protest against overconsumption, which is largely artificially imposed by advertising.
Secondly, the widespread practice of discounts that coincide with various holidays throughout the year, combined with skepticism about Black Friday discounts, has created a more cautious attitude towards thoughtless shopping. Thus, there is a tendency that the profit and thoughtless consumption gradually develops into the purchase of better quality branded goods at best possible price, which is required and appreciated by buyers.
