Tag Archives: Black Friday

Sightings: Black Friday 2010 Promotions

Given all the press “Black Friday creep” has been getting, it’s not surprising how many Black Friday-themed promotions MarketRelevance has been seeing already this fall.  Originally reserved for the Friday following Thanksgiving, (and referring to when a retailer typically sees the accounting switch from red ink to black), “Black Friday” now clearly has been recast to refer broadly to sales and discount shopping. Beyond calling for “Black Friday Now,” most of the retailers we’ve rounded up below are also offering savings to consumers through membership clubs, layaway, in-house credit cards and discounted shipping. Notable MarketRelevance promotions covered below include Collections Etc., Woman Within, Tiger Direct, Sears and Kmart.

Note: Click on any promotion graphic for a more complete view.

Collections Etc.
Collections Etc. asks “Why fight the crowds and long lines next month, when you can get in on the action Now and Save Up to 65% + $1 Shipping. No minimum order quantity required… Shop Now!” The discount gift, home and general merchandiser sells most products for $14.99 or less. The email also promotes the marketer’s Green & Gold Savings Club, which qualifies the member for 10% savings on every purchase for a year.

Vitals: email, delivered 10/27/10

Woman Within
Redcats’ plus size women’s apparel marketer Woman Within sent an email announcing “Black Friday Now! Extra 30% off all orders, 48 hrs only.” The festive red and green creative includes a woman dressed in Santa gear and the text: “Holiday shop preview from $9.99.” Several product categories like “little black dress shop,” “50% off shop” and “national bra brands from $14” are highlighted. The promotion also features a catalog request link and allows recipients to click through to apply for the marketer’s affinity credit card, teasing, “save up to $300 annually when you open a Woman Within credit card account.”

Vitals: email, delivered 11/5/10

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Black Friday Search Trends, Past and Present

“Black Friday” search data from Hitwise underscores how consumers are increasingly plugged-in to online retail research and deal hunting.

I sat in on a good session from Hitwise Research Director Heather Doughtery this week that looked back at Black Friday 2008 and offered some preliminary stats for Black Friday 2009. The findings are fairly predictable and mirror what we know from our own data:  consumers are researching earlier and looking for deals.  The bigger question for this season is to what degree the economy and unemployment will accelerate the thrifty, marketing-savvy behaviors already in play.  Below are a few takeaways:

Black Friday searches start earlier each year. Per Hitwise, early “Black Friday” searches in 2006 started the week ending 9/30; for 2009 those same searches started the week ending 8/8.  At this rate, “Christmas in July” may lose its oxymoron status by next year.  Of course we’re talking searches, not purchases.  But unless a retailer is sitting on headline-grabbing price reductions for late in the season, capturing mindshare early is crucial.  Consumers need to know where the good deals are coming from, and a retailer may have to expend more effort now if they haven’t laid the groundwork already.

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