Much like the rest of 2020, Thanksgiving and Black Friday are going to be notably different from previous years. With ongoing COVID-19 protocols and social distancing, how do you make sure you get your slice of the multi-billion-dollar annual event?
Fact is, the one-day Black Friday sales, especially those traditionally run in-store, may not yield the same kind of sales numbers that they have in previous years. However, that does not mean there is a lack of opportunity to get people excited and involved in the Black Friday sales season.
If anything, these changes can be seen as a chance to do some different. One such option is to take your one-day Black Friday sales that are usually focused on the end of November and expand them to cover the entire month.
Running a Month-Long Black Friday Sale & Why It’s Worth Considering
Despite the unique circumstances 2020 has brought with it, this year’s Black Friday is still set to be a big day in the shopping calendar. But, in order to address the needs of social distancing and not overcrowding stores, starting sales early and giving them a longer running time could be key to seeing strong sales numbers during a time where more people are staying inside.
This is an approach being encouraged by the National Retail Federation (NRF), which recently launched its “New Holiday Traditions” campaign at the end of September. The campaign is focused on encouraging customers to “shop safe and shop early” this holiday season.
In an additional survey that the NRF conducted with retailers, the overwhelming majority of those surveyed agreed that they expected shoppers to spread out their Black Friday and holiday shopping in some capacity over the remaining months of 2020.
Instead of waiting until Black Friday to be the beginning of their gift shopping for the season, the NRF is encouraging consumers to purchase from retailers earlier – and, by extension, retailers are being encouraged to start their Black Friday sales earlier and run them for longer.
By extending a Black Friday sale to become a month-long affair, retailers will have far more room to breathe when it comes to hitting desired sales numbers while still keeping their staff and customers safe.
Online Shopping
Another important component to the shopping experience in past years, and even more important this year, has been online shopping. This season in particular, even more people are expected to opt for online shopping over in-person.
In their “New Holiday Traditions” campaign announcement, the NRF notes that, for 2020’s holiday shopping season, 59% of holiday shoppers surveyed stated they plan to shift more of their shopping online when compared to last year.
In accordance to research conducted by global data intelligence company Morning Consult, the disparity between online shopping and in-store shopping for this year’s Black Friday could be significant.
They conducted a poll among 2,212 US adults and asked them how they planned to participate in Black Friday shopping in 2020. 52% said they would not be taking part in Black Friday sales, 39% said they intend to participate by shopping online, and only 12% of those polled said they intended to shop in-store.
So, if you don’t already have online shopping options available to your customers, set something up. If not a full-blown online shopping portal, then at least options that allow customers to reserve items for pick-up so that they can simply drop by and collect their purchases.
In times such as these, it’s important to account for the concerns of your customers and staff. If implementing an online store or reserve-for-pickup system will make your customers feel safer and more confident in doing business with you, then it’s an investment worth pursuing.
No matter the specials you’ll be running, 2020 is the year to run those specials for longer and with a greater online presence.
Get in Touch
However you’re planning to run your Black Friday sales this year, Odenza offers a range of experiential and tech incentives that can help you get your sales over the line. From local Staycations for 6 people to smart watches and wireless earbuds, they’re the perfect way to thank a customer for their business.
To learn more about how Odenza can help you increase your sales, contact us via the form below or give us a call on 1-866-883-2968.
