DURBAN - Despite 2020 being a very tough year there's nothing to be gained from not recognising Black Friday and the festive season at large, according to Matthew Leighton, spokesperson for e-tailer, OneDayOnly.co.za.
Leighton says that now more than ever, the economy requires stimulation and regrowth – and Black Friday is the biggest opportunity the eCommerce industry has to contribute towards that economic stimulation.
Is this the year more people turn to online shopping?
“We’ve seen consistent growth in Black Friday numbers and we expect this to continue,” said Leighton.
Between 2018 and 2019, the home-grown daily deals site saw the number of Black Friday shoppers double, dwarfing the numbers seen on a regular day.
Leighton says that with the rapid growth experienced in early lockdown and the sustained business from both their new and existing suppliers, trade at OneDayOnly is up 100 percentin 2020. “Level 5 lockdown gave eCommerce a massive shot in the arm, and we don’t expect the easing of restrictions will affect that,” said Leighton.
What does the OneDayOnly.co.za team predict will be in their carts?
“Unsurprisingly, last year hoverboards and e-readers were in the Top 5 Sellers list in terms of turnover. We're expecting this big uptake in tech products to continue with the likes of drones, action cameras, TVs, fitness watches, gaming consoles, and audio equipment,” said Leighton.
In addition, Leighton says large kitchen appliances are always in demand on a big shopping day like Black Friday.
He said, “Things like washing machines, dishwashers, coffee machines and blenders”.
“Last but certainly not least, we should see a similar spike in interest in fashion and fitness apparel, toys, and Christmas gifts,” says Leighton.
He says that Black Friday 2019’s Top Five list in terms of units sold was consistent with this, as shoes and fitness leggings appeared in the top three as well as great gift items like wallets and wireless earpods.
Will brick and mortar Black Friday shopping take a hit this year?
Leighton says that online shopping is always easier on Black Friday – but Covid-19 restrictions will ramp this up further. “Online shopping gives you the convenience of purchasing everything you want without going from store to store or competing with other shoppers.
“Throw in Covid-19 restrictions, which will surely see long queues based on restrictions on store capacity and retail shopping taking a lot longer than it normally would, meaning we’re likely to see a move away from brick and mortar shopping and towards eCommerce,” said Leighton.
What else will change in terms of Black Friday trends as a result of the pandemic?
According to Leighton, there could be an even higher jump in terms of growth as people avoid physical retail outlets on sale day, we will likely see some changes in terms of shopping behaviour online.
“Usually, people spend up to three times longer on the site on Black Friday than on a usual shopping session. While this could be a stretch, we may see this gap close slightly as many people have become digitally and eCommerce savvy as a result of the lockdown,” said Leighton.
Is it irresponsible of marketers to punt Black Friday when many were severely impacted by shutdowns and cutbacks?
“While there may be some marketing efforts that promote irresponsible buying and credit, we firmly believe that Black Friday is a great way for consumers to secure some genuinely excellent deals,” conclued Leighton.
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