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might be the same if not better, sometimes they just aren’t willing to pay full price.


The idea that the competition is racing to the bottom of pricing to be more appealing is what is detrimental; but is that where Black Friday comes in?


THE BLACK FRIDAY POSITIVES The good thing about Black Friday is that it’s fleeting. Consumers know that it lasts a day or a week, and that’s the end of the sale period, you’re not obligated to do more, despite what customers may say. It’s a good way to promote to customers that may not be aware of your services or products, but are after what you provide – sometimes using what is out there already to reach a further audience is what is key to breaking new ground. Moreover if you’re not one to offer deals or discounts at all, maybe considering the national day of deals’ proposition – it’s already well-known, get your SEO right and traffic to your website could be constant, and it’s your offering to control. There are no set discounts or rules to be adhered to; it’s completely up to you.


Black Friday: good dealings or race to the bottom?


EVERYONE IS GUILTY FOR PINCHING THAT BLACK FRIDAY DEAL, ESPECIALLY FOR CHRISTMAS, BUT DOES BLACK FRIDAY HAVE A PLACE WITHIN THE WIDE-FORMAT PRINT INDUSTRY?


Ever since Black Friday was introduced it has been a myriad of competitive prices, from all sectors whether that be, electronics, clothes, services and even hospitality. However, is it a dying deal considering most seem to be offering deals all year long? In some ways yes, it is a declining bargain due to the hype being less and less each year.


The proof of this is that previously Black Friday


was just a single day – a day of chaos but a day nonetheless.Now it’s turned into a week of deals, offers and bundles for the Christmas shopper, including the new addition of Cyber Monday, a day dedicated to the online shopper.


RACE TO THE BOTTOM: THE STIGMA AROUND DEALS Do discounts diminish what your product is worth? In some respects yes, with a discount you’re


advertising to customers that it may not be worth full price. But discounts are also sneaky, they draw in customers that otherwise would not buy with you. But do they stay? Realistically no, because prices are not what they have come to expect, and while the quality


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THE HISTORY OF BLACK FRIDAY Originating in the 1950s in Philadelphia, the term Black Friday was used to describe the chaotic traffic and crowds that would happen the day after Thanksgiving when shoppers would head to the city. In the 80s, the term then referred to when retailers’ books went from ‘red to the black’ because of big sales on the day. It was then turned into a marketing event due to the turnaround that shops would get. By the 2000s, it became known for the overnight camp-out, long lines and early-morning starts. Now it’s been expanded to a full week of sales, including online deals and the newly introduced Cyber Monday.


SHOULD YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BE OPEN TO DEALS? Ask yourself if the service or product you offer to your customers should be discounted. It is likely that the customers on your site during


Black Friday are new and therefore are not aware of the prices you usually charge due to Black Friday discounts. If they were pleased with what they got during those deals, they may be more likely to want to retain those prices in the future. However, if the discounts you can offer are profitable for you then maybe Black Friday could be a smart choice.


TO DISCOUNT OR NOT TO DISCOUNT With a growing and bustling industry comes competition, and while most of the time it’s healthy, there can be times when it is detrimental, but knowing when to control the deals and discounts is key to mastering those Black Friday deals. Breaking away from the crowd isn’t easy, and while there are no guarantees that Black Friday will be for you or your business – isn’t it worth a try?


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