Black Friday malaise
Image via Support1
As Alibaba and US Retailers look to bring Black Friday to China, and is on track to be the largest ever for the United Kingdom. But we are feeling nothing but weariness for the event, and the value it actually provides to our customers. Here's why:
SHOPPER PROFILE
Laura Shin recently reported in Forbes that 55 percent of American’s plan to skip Black Friday. The ‘holiday’, with crowds, long line-ups, and competitive shoppers does have a hard-core customer base. One in five shoppers report they have never missed a Friday. And they are willing to wait in line ad average of 2.5 hours. Nothing says 'customer service' like a 2.5 hour wait.
ARGUMENT AGAINST
Bloomberg’s Joshua Brustein made a good argument to get rid of the retail event altogether.
“The Thanksgiving-less shoppers in places such as the U.K., the Netherlands, and Canada spend more than Americans during the holiday season, Adobe research found, despite the absence of a Black Friday starting gun to ignite the shopping.”
RARELY AN ACCURATE FORECAST
On top of the decreased margins and customer service, Black Friday is an unreliable predictor of things to come for the holiday season. The Wall Street Journal’s Jo Craven McGinty uncovers a more accurate measure.
