Black Friday or Christmas? When will you spend more?
Retailers in SA are gearing for a shopping frenzy in November
Black Friday looms large at the end of this month, as the retail frenzy that was imported from the US means local retailers are planning for a massive shopping day, while shoppers scour for discounts. Technology-goods retailers and manufacturers are hoping for a repeat of last year, which was the most successful Black Friday yet for consumer electronics sales in SA. In the first hour of Black Friday last year, Takealot.com saw a 280% year-on-year uplift in visits, generating more than R6m in gross merchandising value, rising to more than R87m by the end of the day. "It is our biggest day of the year in terms of acquiring new shoppers," said Julie-Anne Walsh, chief marketing officer at the online retailer. Takealot.com's year-on-year Black Friday figures rose from R1m in 2012 to R56m in 2016. Walsh said search interest in SA using the term "Black Friday" was the highest in the world, according to Google Trends. "Although 2018 has been a tough year for South Africans financially, we d...
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