In the late fall, the season of global sales begins in Europe and the USA. It starts with Black Friday buyers and sellers have been waiting for in most countries around the world. This year, Black Friday will be held on November 27th, but stores often announce discounts several days before it. What trends should we expect this year and how the BF will be held in 2020 taking into account the lockdowns and quarantines in many countries? Let's figure out.
How Covid-19 Affects the Black Friday Sales
Black Friday 2020 will be held during the growing pandemic threat and quarantine, which could leave an imprint on global sales. Firstly, stores will most likely not be able to let crowds in without violating the requirements of social distance. In this regard, there are two solutions. They will either violate the rules or introduce restrictions on the number of buyers who can simultaneously be inside the store.
Another factor that affects sales is that consumers have become more careful with spending money for various reasons. Some people save money to cope with possible financial instability, especially if they work in a service sector that has suffered from the quarantine. Others have concluded that now it is necessary to spend less on clothes and gadgets than before.
If you don't belong to these people, you can still save on your purchases if you read the announcements about Black Friday on Rabato that are already available.
How the Chinese Sales on November 11th Have Passed?
On the other hand, the recent World Shopping Day brought Chinese online platforms no less profit than before the pandemic. On November 11, China hosted the 11/11 Global Singles Day Sale, which is an alternative to Black Friday in this country. The most popular online marketplaces offered their customers impressive discounts to congratulate them.
The idea was taken up by other Chinese sites, and later online stores around the world began to offer 11/11 discounts, so this day was called World Shopping Day, which is essentially an analog of Black Friday. Meanwhile, 13 Chinese companies showed more than $150 million in revenue at this year's sale, along with 340 companies and brands that passed the $15 million thresholds.
Expecting a natural influx of shoppers, Alibaba began offering discounts on November 1, and by Wednesday noon the gross order value reached $56.42 billion, significantly exceeding last year's result of $38,4 billion. This trend allows us to conclude that 2020 Black Friday will also be successful for the stores that are focusing on online shoppers.
How Black Friday Moves Online
Due to quarantine, this year's sales will be mostly held online. Some online stores have already announced discounts on different product categories. The most popular of them are:
TVs with 4K and 6K resolution;
Game consoles and gamepads;
Devices for "smart home";
Professional cameras;
Home acoustic systems;
Autos.
However, there will be discounts in almost all market niches. Safe shopping on Black Friday is guaranteed to everyone ready to purchase goods online.
The online format of sales will make it possible to avoid all the unpleasant situations that happen during regular shopping. First of all, these are queues, crowds of people, and fights for goods. Discounts attract a lot of buyers, and in pandemic conditions, such a crowd would be simply dangerous to health. Therefore, Black Friday in November will mostly be profitable for online stores.
Online shopping is also more convenient because you don't have to travel to the other end of the city to visit the desired store. You won't have to use public or personal transport at all. An exception is if you need to pick up the goods from the delivery service. However, courier services and parcel terminals solve this problem.
At least 50% of online stores are ready to offer customers additional bonuses. First of all, this is cashback that can be spent to pay for subsequent purchases. Also, you can arrange an installment plan with monthly payments. It is much more convenient to do by using a smartphone or laptop.
For the buyer to find out all the details about the product, there will be 24/7 support services in online stores. So, for the period of promotions, online stores will increase the number of online chat operators.
What Stores Will Offer Discounts for Household Appliances and Electronics
Many retailers participate in BF promotion. The number of stores that announce a sale is growing every year, but not all sellers are fair. To get the product you are counting on, place orders in large retail stores. Large chain stores operate officially under a license. This approach protects against buying fake goods. Therefore, we recommend to pay your particular attention to the following stores:
Walmart;
Amazon;
Best Buy;
The Home Depot;
Target;
Menards;
Big Lots;
Kohl's;
Kroger;
Meijer.
Another reason to cooperate with popular retailers is additional bonuses. Besides the standard discounts on Black Friday, they charge cashback, pay for shipping, and even offer profitable loans.
In Conclusion
Perhaps each of us knows what Black Friday is. Therefore, if you have a goal to purchase a certain item, go to the store in advance to try it in a relaxed atmosphere. Shopping centers on Black Friday are filled with people, so before the start of the most anticipated day for shoppers, make a list of must-have purchases so that you do not waste time on unnecessary things.
Discounts on Black Friday are now offered to customers by almost every store, and the number of shops on the Internet is increasing every time, so as a result of competition, you can find many very attractive offers. For this, you do not need to stand in long queues and additionally put yourself in danger. Stay at home and try to purchase goods online.
