Many eCommerce stores are starting their Black Friday sales early this year. Rather than limiting the holiday to one day, shoppers are bringing the discounts early, with something known as Black November. In fact, some shoppers have already started their Black Friday offerings! That’s right, in October. You may be wondering why brands feel this is a good idea, so let’s take a look at some reasons why the eCommerce world is taking this holiday to early extremes.
Countering FOMO
Black Friday continues to gain popularity and awareness all over the globe. Traditionally a holiday celebrated mainly in the US, other countries are catching on. A day filled with discounts? What’s not to love! The UK market didn’t used to be so BF-savvy, but they are fast catching up with the USA demand.
For this reason, brands are making sure that they get in there first. As they say, the early bird catches the worm. There’s only a finite amount of money to go round and be spent on this holiday, so the brands announcing their sales first are hoping that the shoppers will turn to them.
Brands are making sure that they don’t miss out on the biggest amount of customers possible. They don’t want the FOMO (fear of missing out), and would rather be on the safe side. This is one reason for turning to Black November rather than Black Friday.
The Dates
Because of Black Friday being tied with Thanksgiving, the date of the holiday changes every year. In 2024, this year, it falls on November 29th. This is one of the latest possible dates for Black Friday. By this time, people have already started planning and budgeting for Christmas, as it’s right around the corner.
Turning to Black November is a great way to create space between Black Friday and Christmas. With only 26 days in between the events, giving consumers more time to differentiate, and budget their pennies is a great shout. Especially when we are considering delivery costs, this makes a lot of sense.
Logistics
Following on from this, logistics can make a big difference when it comes to how your Black November works. There are so many things to consider when ensuring that your Black Friday sales will work and be popular, boosting sales and leaving customers happy. There are so many things to consider from the start of the process through until the end.
Choosing your range, marketing your range, boxing and shipping all take hefty periods of time. Trying to foresee how your brand is going to perform on the day is also vital. For example, if your brand happened to have such a successful Black Friday that you couldn’t keep up demand, there could be a (worst case) scenario where your products didn’t actually arrive in time for Christmas. This would result in some very dissatisfied customers.
Bringing your Black Friday dates forward reduces the potential of this happening. Even if your products do soar in popularity, starting in the beginning of November will give you plenty of time for products to arrive.
Shopper Fatigue
When it comes to Black Friday, shoppers will have seen a lot of marketing already. They will have already done some deliberating, and figured out where they want to spend their money. By coming in early, you are ensuring that shoppers aren’t bored yet. Announcing your deals early on will make sure that they are still excited. Black November also means that your deals aren’t drowned out in the noise of all the others. It gives a chance to combat consumer fatigue, and make sure that your deals get the attention they deserve.
On the flip side, when starting your sales this early it’s important to make sure that you don’t add to consumer fatigue; or that shoppers get used to your sales. If you are doing a month of Black Friday, make sure to add limited times to certain products, and different discounts in different moments. You don’t want shoppers to take your offers for granted. The “I’ll come back for it later” mindset can leave you short when all is said and done.
Conclusion
Black November is a great way to make sure your Black Friday sales hit home, and you stay ahead of the game. It’s important to not take the holiday for granted. With its popularity soaring, you are competing against more eCommerce brands than ever. Getting a head start, and considering the factors that make this a good idea, could make all the difference.