Pretoria - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has called on motorists to use Black Friday to fix their vehicles and ensure they are roadworthy in preparation for the festive season.
It said many accidents were a result of cars that were not fit for long-distance travel during the December holidays.
Today is Black Friday, and the trends have shifted from the shops to online to ensure shoppers practice social distancing.
Menlyn Park, Woodlands and Brooklyn shopping centre also introduced a flat parking rate for today.
By yesterday afternoon, shops were doing their last-minute preparations and putting deals up their display windows.
And as online buying increases, the South African e-commerce industry said it had experienced a massive boom this year, accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Matthew Leighton, spokesperson for e-retailer OneDayOnly.co.za, said it had conducted a survey among 5 806 of its shoppers.
“According to the survey, around 62 percent of online shoppers are in the 25-44 year age bracket, which tells us that millennials and Gen Z are driving online spending.
“The majority (61%) of respondents said they shop online due to the convenience, while 15 percent believe online shopping provides a greater selection of items to choose from.
“Another 15 percent reckon things are generally cheaper online.
“Black Friday is the biggest opportunity for the e-commerce industry to contribute towards economic reinvigoration,” said Leighton.
Nashil Chotoki, retail asset manager for Redefine Properties, said while Covid-19 accelerated online sales of groceries in particular, most online platforms were still operating at a loss.
“While online sales are growing, we do not anticipate the South African market to reach levels
being seen in developed countries in the foreseeable future, mainly due to cost, access to the internet and logistics.”
Chotoki believes brick-and-mortar Black Friday sales were also likely to be muted this year due to the pandemic.
This year’s strong focus would be technology, small domestic appliances, housewares, toys and do-it-yourself auto projects, Chotoki added.
“Along those lines, clothes sales are expected to be weak, with the exception of sleepwear and slippers.”
A number of local retailers have said they had extended their sales beyond the normal to avoid the overcrowding of stores.
Pick n Pay said its Black Friday sales were spread over two weeks, while Game and Makro is running its sale till the end of the month.
Massmart corporate affairs executive Brian Leroni said: “Game and Makro have, after analysing the Black Friday shopper information, taken the decision to provide customers with more opportunity and time to benefit from the Black Friday prices by releasing new Black Friday deals each week in November.”
Pretoria News