Black Friday Climbing Frames UK
The DARKER SIDE OF BLACK FRIDAY……..
Black Friday — the sale and slashed price offer based November shopping day — first took hold in the UK in 2010. What we know as an Autumn product sales boost actually came about in the US way back in 1869 and related to the crash and subsequent bankruptcy linked to the US gold market. Fast forward a good few years and it is linked with retailers and manufacturers in the US creating extra buzz around the USA holiday shopping season, to include thanksgiving.
In the past ten years Black Friday has gained traction worldwide and from this spawned Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is a marketing term for e-commerce transactions on the Monday after Thanksgiving in the US. Again something that is now pretty much worldwide, this event is purely to encourage people to shop online for the best deals. But are they the best deals? Do Black Friday and Cyber Monday really live up to their promises at providing the most amazing offers and price cuts for consumers?
“The hype around Black Friday creates the impression that every offer is worth trampling over fellow shoppers to get to, with retailers slashing prices to historically low levels for one day only. But our research has found that’s rarely the case”.
…98% of the discounts advertised the previous year — including promotions on popular tech, home and personal care products — were available for the same price or cheaper in the six months after the sales…we also found that 85% of the items had also been the same price or cheaper in the six months before Black Friday…just three of the 119 products we tracked — that’s 1% — were at their very cheapest price on Black Friday”.
Which Nov 9th 2021
Shocking statistics raising the question; can UK consumers really trust the offers in 2021? Or are there some very dark tricks retailers use to suck you in to spend money without noticing……
“…the real “scam” of Black Friday is the way that retailers use deals to lure shoppers into their stores in order to inspire them to spend. The goal of a typical Black Friday retailer is to attract customers by offering a few key products at a so-called discount. Then, once those ‘deals’ run out, the retailers have still got you in their hooks because you’re already in their stores or on their sites, at which point you’re more likely to buy something else — even if it’s not specific Black Friday sales.”
Money Manual Nov 8th 2021
So are we being duped as consumers? Is Black Friday really the best day to shop? Many already feel that UK retailers cash in on Black Friday too early. Starting a ‘pre black friday’ sale in September, raises the question; organised marketing or a case of greedy retailers? Black Friday seems to be more than just one day now for almost all retailers, and we regularly hear the question being asked — are the discounts REAL? Or is the pricing artificial?
“Last year, every fifth deal on Black Friday was ‘fake’, meaning that every one in five (22%) discounted products were not genuine discounts at all”.
Female First Nov 2nd 2021
Covid has created a plethora of issues and this year will likely be a year of continued problems given supply chain and stocking concerns. With most retailers having both high street shops and online shops, how do they differentiate between Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals? Could something be cheaper on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday? How can retailers guarantee stock to fulfill their deals? Or guarantee that the customer will receive this stock?
“With ‘fake’ deals being completely legal, consumers will have to be more savvy than ever before to make sure they’re actually getting bang for their buck”.
Female First Nov 2nd 2021
Take into consideration logistics, import and export problems — these are global issues and will affect retailers’ abilities to supply to their customers. Do your research. Check prices. Ask yourself some sensible questions — Has the product been upped in price only to be reduced on Black Friday? Has the product NEVER actually been purchased by someone at the advertised RRP?
Has the product been purchased by the retailer JUST for Black Friday so there is no price legacy to be able to compare too?
Has the product been slimmed down to enable discounting, less features, less quality, shorter warranty? Has the retailer changed the returns policy? Check all websites you can, to check if the Black Friday deal is a real deal. Spend your money wisely.
Notwithstanding all of the above, Black Friday seems set to stay. I am sure that the 2021 shopping sensation of both Black Friday and Cyber Monday will no doubt attract a huge volume of eager shoppers. The consumer now expects these deals and perhaps more so this year, with furlough and people being out of work. Saving money where possible is perhaps at the forefront of everyone’s minds this year. Flip the coin and it is legitimate to say that a number of retailers need it too this year. A way to boost profits in the last quarter before things really do run into the red.
At Climbing Frames UK we stopped doing Black Friday for three key reasons. — We didn’t want to upset buyers who purchased previously at a higher price.
-We didn’t want to reduce quality, service or warranty to give a bigger discount. -We decided that our ‘Best Possible Price’, ‘Best Product’ and ‘Best Service’ is ALWAYS on offer — 365 days of the year.
