5 international Black Friday trends
You don't have to limit your love for shopping to local stores.
Picture: iStock
Make Black Friday shopping an easier experience by visiting these sites, getting bargains on international items and shopping without having to leave your home or catch a plane.
The revolutionary Amazon Echo – an artificial intelligence bot that effectively runs your home for you – will be heavily discounted on Black Friday as will Sephora’s on-trend, cruelty-free beauty bestsellers and virtual reality toys from Alibaba.com that will give your little one bragging rights this Christmas.
And even though these sites may not ship these products to South Africa, by subscribing to an international shipping service, South Africans looking to bag something special this Black Friday can shop global online sales in the US, UK, China, Australia, Europe and more.
Mark Mahoney, Aramex Global Shopper: Manager eCommerce Services says there are a host of amazing sites that offer phenomenal products, however they either don’t ship to South Africa or they charge exorbitant prices for doing so. “We’ve done some research to help consumers find those extra special items or tap into upcoming trends that aren’t available locally.”
He said that, while local retailers offer great savings, retailers across the globe frequently cut prices to a mere fraction of their original price. “South Africans can look offshore for unprecedented savings and can then use a well-priced shipping company like ourselves to affordably bring their finds home.”
Here are Mahoney’s top international trends this Black Friday:
1. Cheque out cruelty-free at Sephora
Top trend: The international trend of consumers basing their buying decisions upon their values has had a big impact on the beauty industry. Increasing global calls for animal cruelty-free products has seen beauty brands and online retailers offer products which stress their all-natural, cruelty-free nature.
Top sites: Beauty giants such as Sephora and Beautycounter have dedicated pages listing cruelty-free bestsellers.
Top sellers: Sephora’s hugely popular ‘Drunk Elephant’ and ‘Too Faced’ ranges.
2. Nab next season’s wardrobe
Top trend: Global trends in fashion have seen clothing and style become extensions of self. Bold, bright colours are in vogue.
Top sites: Express yourself with creative colour blocking from sites like Asos and Zara.
Top tip: South Africans can purchase next season’s fashions No need to carry heavy bags after a day’s shopping. The world is now your shopping mall with clever shipping solutions available to South Africans. for sales prices, making up for costly customs duties and ensuring a wardrobe of the latest looks before they arrive in store months later.
3. Bring Home the Smarts
Top trend: As every aspect of day-to-day life is digitised, it comes as no surprise that our living spaces are modernising thanks to Smart Home products. Forget the touch of a button, technological innovation is now a spoken word away, with these systems obeying your every verbal command, from setting an alarm to turning on the stove. One day, they’ll even light the braai for you. Not yet, but soon.
Top sites: ThinkGeek and Amazon are hubs for all tech trends.
Top sellers: The “Smart Home” is now a reality due to the likes of Google Home and AmazonEcho.
4. Find smart toys
Top trend: Recently coined “Smart Toys”, these tech-savvy toys take learning to the next level with interactive innovations that see kids developing essential motor-neuron language and social skills. Imagine a teddy that asks educational questions.
Top sites: Popular international online sites like Alibaba.com, Fisher-Price and Lego Online, have come to offer bestselling products that keep kids entertained while encouraging creativity.
Top sellers: From Lego’s “Expert Creator” range, to FisherPrice’s “Laugh and Learn” selection – the toys aim to equally educate and entertain.
5. Access activewear and top tech for sports
Top trend: For those more inclined to go for a run, technological sporting equipment becomes a greater priority. Globally, there’s an increase in the demand for modernised sporting solutions in the form of activity-tracking tech pieces.
Top sites: Hop onto international online stores such as Powerhouse Fitness and DinoDirect.
Top sellers: International brands currently unavailable to the South African market, such as the China-based Xiaomi, as well as Samsung’s GearFit.
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