Black Friday: Retail Myth and Truth
November 21, 2013 | Uncategorized
What’s true, and what’s a myth when it comes to some of our most cherished stories about holiday retail sales.
By George Nader, Climb Technology VP of Sales and Business Development
It’s fascinating to learn what is real about Black Friday and what is just parroted as fact.
For instance, Black Friday is not when retailers get out of the red and start racking up profits, even though many retailers live and die by the sales they must make during the final weeks of the year.
Black Friday isn’t even the busiest shopping day of the holiday season. The last two weekends before Christmas have that distinction.
No, Black Friday is a great way for retailers to grab early dollars and do a bit of self-promotion and brand building. If some customers walk off with inexpensive TVs, well, that makes for good advertising and great word of mouth. In a different industry, but a similar example, I’ve heard it said that the best thing to happen to a casino is for a new patron to win on the first pull of the big slot machine by the door.
The psychology of Black Friday may be little removed from the psychology of casinos when it comes to creating an aura of success or retail sales, winnings and consumer savings.
Because Climb Technology has one foot planted in the in-store retail world, and online retail world, it’s also worth mentioning something about Black Friday’s Internet shopping corollary, Cyber Monday. Sales on this coming Cyber Monday, December 2, are expected to top Black Friday and increase 15% over 2012.
Whether you’re angling for the best prices on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or monitoring sales figures on those days, everyone at Climb Technologies wishes you a safe and satisfying Thanksgiving, and a great start to the holiday season.