Buyers buy Christmas bargains early on Black Friday

But equally, Black Friday sales also reinforce one of the retail truisms, that certain product lines that aren’t immediately appealing to consumers typically won’t take off in the long run.

“If something just doesn’t sell, it’s never going to sell,” he said. Spotting these trends early and taking decisive action with additional clearance discounts is essential to avoid ending up with unwanted inventory. “It’s part of being a good retailer.”

Amazon is accelerating

Amazon in Australia had strong sales, with well-known brands in good stead. Janet Menzies, country manager of Amazon Australia, said customers were making the most of Black Friday sales, saving money on Christmas gifts to “beat the December rush.”

“Some of the most popular products to date have been Tontine pillows, LEGO products, Apple products and Nintendo Switch games,” Ms. Menzies said.

Catch Group chief executive Pete Sauerborn said he was seeing “healthy sales” so far. Apple AirPods are a very good seller, along with home appliances like Dyson, and cosmetic and toy lines that are also proving popular. There are over 2,500 Market Vendors in the Catch Market who also sell.

He expects Black Friday volumes to be around double those of Boxing Day sales, with Black Friday finally reaching Australian consumers.

Catch Group, which was acquired by Wesfarmers in 2019 for $ 230 million, had its biggest selling day on Black Friday last year. This year’s figure is expected to exceed 2020. It started a little earlier this year, offering deals on Tuesday.

“The interesting dynamic that I observed was generally that online businesses were holding on and really launching their offers and events on Fridays. But they started coming earlier this year,… it’s certainly partly a reaction to the logistics. Supply chains are under pressure across the industry due to disruptions related to COVID-19.

Mr. Sauerborn said Catch has invested heavily in providing free express shipping to Club Catch members. Catch also introduced free click and collect at Kmart and Target stores for all customers.

“We are taking different approaches to try to make sure we ease the burden on Australia Post and ensure that customers receive their packages,” he said.

Greener wave

Many companies are trying to reposition themselves to take advantage of society’s shift towards more ethical sourcing and environmental considerations.

The large IKEA furniture chain, which sells large quantities of discounted furniture that households assemble with their trusty Allen keys, has trumpeted a “Green Friday” campaign. Customers who are part of the IKEA membership program can resell used furniture at the store and receive an additional 50% on the refund card as part of the existing buyback service.

Websites like Green Friday, which showcase enduring brands like Frank Green Keep Cups, invite shoppers to consider their purchases during the November shopping festival that begins with Click Frenzy, Singles Day through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In the United States, the five days after Thanksgiving are known as the “Turkey Five” because of the main turkey food that is eaten on Thanksgiving family holidays.

Emily Skye Anderson, who recently joined the Young Rich List after huge success with her fitness business, is also a co-owner of James Cosmetics. The company is offering 40% off products such as 24k Gold Hydra² and 24K Gold & Collagen crystal eye mask.

“Our first Black Friday three years ago was actually an accident. We made a quick decision because we thought why not do something a little earlier than Christmas and not too close to Boxing Day. At the time, we couldn’t believe the response from customers, ”said the Gold Coast fitness queen.

Fast forward three years and revenue from James Cosmetics’ Black Friday sales day has increased by 1000%, launched earlier on November 7, simply to beat the market chaos.

“If you’re like me, you probably have 30 or 40 Black Friday emails in your inbox as of this week, so launching a little earlier means we can reach our customers,” she said. declared.

“The trick is to balance being early, but still during the ‘holiday’ season so that customers are ready to buy gifts and of course themselves.

This year, she expects the Black Friday sales period to be 50% longer than Boxing Day, so she doesn’t consider it an American tradition.