Black Friday will look different this year

SHOPPING for Black Friday deals will likely look a little different this year due to the ‘new normal’ created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

With resistance among shoppers to gather in large numbers at shopping malls, the e-commerce industry could experience a spike in November.

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CEO of bidorbuy, Craig Lubbe said the in-store experience this year will unlikely be enjoyable for many shoppers, or easy to manage for retailers.

‘South Africans became a lot more conscious of their health and safety during lockdown, and footfall in the malls has still not returned to pre-Covid levels, which suggests that consumers are – understandably – still wary of visiting stores in large numbers,’ said Lubbe.

‘E-commerce sites, on the other hand, are well-positioned to address these challenges by offering a safe, convenient shopping experience which is becoming increasingly accessible for ordinary consumers.

‘In South Africa, Black Friday has become synonymous with once-off retail sales deals and was responsible for a 2,6% year-on-year increase in retail sales last year. We’re anticipating very high demand,’ he said.

Retail is not the only sector looking to trade in a whole new way this November.

Leading Aparthotel operator Totalstay’s, James Woolley says the travel industry is perfectly positioned to capitalise on Black Friday because of the global popularity of online travel planning.

‘Because international travel over high-season periods like November to March is still limited, a lot more accommodation inventory is now available for the coming summer than we normally would have at this time of the year,’ Woolley said.

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