How retailers can prepare for Black Friday
Black Friday is a global phenomenon which grows in both revenue and duration every year.
Originally an American event that takes place the day after Thanksgiving, it has now cemented its place in the UK retail calendar as the biggest shopping day of the year.
Many shoppers will be looking to grab a Christmas gift and studies show 40% of customers begin researching their Christmas shopping list in October. This makes Black Friday the ideal event for boosting seasonal sales.
With Black Friday 2016 generating £2.9 billion in the UK alone, it is never too early for retailers to prepare for Black Friday.
Start early
The earlier you begin to create hype around your Black Friday Sale, the better.
Building suspense around your upcoming price drops can work great. Use social media, emails or in-store leaflets to give customers a sneak peek at what you will be offering on this November.
Electronics are typically the best sellers on Black Friday. Learn from previous years and stock up on these items, display them near the front and keep your price competitive.
Optimise your store
Your store needs to be ready for increased crowds and optimised to make shopping easy. People don’t go to stores on Black Friday for a leisurely shop. They know what they want and want to get it quickly and leave. Many of your shoppers will have already researched your sale online.
All of your sale offers should be at the front of your store on your main promotional aisle. This way, Black Friday shoppers can come in with little disruption to the rest of your store.
Avoid disruption
Some retailers operate a one in one out system. People can begin to queue and then once the sale officially opens, only 10 or so people are allowed in the store at once. This is a great way to operate a fair first come first serve system to avoid trouble.
Make sure your products are clearly labelled with shelf talkers, posters or show card frames and not all in one location. For example, spread your TVs around to avoid crowds gathering in one place.
Prep your staff
Making sure your staff are fully prepared for your Black Friday event is another way to help avoid disruption. Firstly, you should have more staff in than a normal Friday. Consider the length your store will be open, the number and length of breaks to be taken in the day and the number of staff for each department.
Your staff should know your sale inside and out. Let them know as far in advance as possible what your Black Friday deals are, how much they are discounted by, if there is more stock in the back and most importantly, is there a limit to the number of items per person.
