BLACK FRIDAY IS BECOMING IRRELEVANT

The last Friday of November is called "black" Friday in the United States – it is the day of crazy discounts which has become a tradition, but in 2020, many noticed that this story is coming to an end. Some analysts were quick to call the current sales a "swan song". Is it really so?

In the United States, the day of discounts has become a record for online sales this year. The last year's turnover has been exceeded by 21.6%, reaching $ 9 billion.

And although the Cyber ​​Monday of 2019 remains the leader in e-commerce, this Friday places the second.

Taking such a result into account, the experts of Adobe Analytics rushed to forecast growth for Cyber ​​Monday 2020, predicting an increase in online spending of 15-35% (from $ 10.8 billion to $ 12.7 billion). It would seem that the US entrepreneurs can only rejoice at such a record growth in consumer Internet traffic and the results of sales. However, this is not entirely true, as traditional trading showed a two-fold decline (by 52%, according to Sensormatic Solutions) in relation to the results of the previous "pre-covid" year.  

Analysts attribute the new results to the conditions of the pandemic. The impossibility of summer travel due to closed borders led to the fact that many people saved the money. Considering that the year was difficult, and the desire to feel the happiness is ineradicable, many rushed to buy impressions. It is not a coincidence that the subscriptions to video services, gadgets and electronic games consoles became the sales leaders, as noted by the Salesforce’s experts.

In Russia, where the tradition of holding Black Friday has not yet formed, the day of sales has acquired its own features.

First, it is being influenced by the Chinese "Bachelor's Day" (November 11) and "Cyber ​​Monday". As a result, instead of a day of sales, many marketplaces start holding three-day, weekly or even eleven-day sales, turning discounts into a familiar and therefore not credible phenomenon. According to the sociologists’ polls, 60% of Russians consider Black Friday to be a trick of marketers and a planned deception.

Another fact is that judging by the results of sales and statistics, significantly fewer Russians took part in the current “holiday” than last year. The average check has decreased by 8%, now it is 4 610 rubles. Experts note that the main role could have been played by the economic recession, which began long before the pandemic. Compared to 2019, the demand for household appliances and clothing increased by 20% or more, which could be the result of the delayed demand of the female audience.

According to analysts, a general trend that has emerged both in Russia and in the United States is a gradual decline in the popularity of Black Friday.

Many well-known brands refuse to participate in such a discount day at all, building their loyalty programs in working with customers on an ongoing basis. Some people ignore Black Friday because its implementation will devalue the efforts made. Others believe that discounted goods should be sold on special electronic platforms, without causing undesirable associations among consumers with another fraud or sales during the period of the outlet's liquidation.