Black Friday

Black Friday

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Black Friday deals are something retailers only offer on that particular Friday – after all the name does lend itself to this. However, this isn’t always the case as there are shops and e-commerce stores that like to do things a little differently.

While many retailers will only have deals on this day, an equally significant number of these might in fact have a series of promotions across a longer time frame; ranging from the week running up to Black Friday, to the following days after it.

Here, Courierpoint takes a closer look at what some of these offers can involve and weigh up the pros and cons; helping you with your business during this buying period. Read on to find out more!

 

Sales on the day
To start with the arguably ‘traditional’ Black Friday sales, you might want to simply offer your customers bargains on the big day itself. At the same time, some retailers stagger their promotions over a 24hr period, perhaps releasing a new deal every hour.

Pros
Staggered sales break up the day into more manageable chunks.
Customers can know exactly when the deals will be available.
The busy period is over and done with in one day.

Cons
You could have a large influx of customers for a prolonged period, which could be more difficult to manage.
It might be trickier to keep track of all the items you have on sale when they’re all going at once.

 

A deal each day
In a similar vein to how certain outlets have hourly sales over the day, some retailers also start their Black Friday promotions early; having a deal for each day in the week leading up to the final Friday.

Pros
Like above, these broken up chunks are easier to manage.
Customer numbers could also be easier to deal with as they’re over a longer period.
It gives businesses more breathing space to process orders and deliveries.

Cons
Customers may feel frustration if they miss a discount on a certain day.
Rival companies might see your deals and offer more discounts at a later date.

 

The long weekend
Sometimes retailers might make a weekend of Black Friday – so to speak – and have their promotions last from the Friday to the following Monday.

Pros
The longer period gives customers more opportunities to buy from your company, targeting those who missed the initial sales.
You therefore have more chance to get rid of more of your goods.

Cons
It will also prolong the Black Friday sale for you too, meaning you have to spend more time dealing with orders and customers.
You also need to ensure people are aware that your offers are for the whole weekend in the run up to the event.
 

Delivery at a later date
One other tactic some e-commerce companies employ is to have deals on and around Black Friday but have extended delivery periods – rather than next day – so the event is technically spread out for longer.

Pros
It can allow you to be more productive on the day as you only have to process orders rather than sending them out then and there.
In turn, this means that staff won’t feel as under pressure during this time and they have the flexibility to deal with any other issues that might crop up.

Cons
Again, this will mean you have to spend more time managing everything with the increased number of deliveries.
By not offering more immediate delivery, some customers might be deterred from shopping with you.
 

What to consider…

The reality is that each choice can feature both positives and potential drawbacks and ultimately it’s down to what you feel your company can manage. For instance, if you have an e-commerce business you might want to do hourly deals so you know when your site is going to have a lot of traffic.

Whatever you choose, consider the above points to help make the situation easier to handle. Also check out our other Black Friday posts for helpful tips and tricks for dealing with everything from discounts to deliveries.

 

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