Experts predict early start to end of year sales

The end of year sales are a great time to bag a bargain and experts are predicting retailers will be offering discounts even earlier this year.

Dani Katralis and her daughter Scarlett, 2. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Retailers are preparing to go earlier than ever with deals ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year and will offer extra enticements to tempt shoppers, who are already on the lookout for bargains in the long lead-up to Christmas.

For many, the spending will begin as early as this Tuesday with Amazon’s new sales event, Prime Big Deal Days, followed a fortnight later by Click Frenzy’s Main Event, being held this month instead of November.

And both shoppers and retailers are ready, said eCommerce coach and digital marketing expert Kelly Slessor.

“Searches for ‘when is Black Friday’ have gone up by 400 per cent in the last 30 days so people are already looking for Black Friday sales, which is crazy considering how long it is until Black Friday,” she said of the November 24 event.

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Dani Katralis is among those planning to start hunting for early Black Friday deals this month to avoid going on a “panic shopping spree” for family Christmas presents in December.

Like many “the cost of living has definitely been felt” by the Sydney mum.

“I used to be an impulse shopper, but as of the last couple of years I’ve formed (better) habits. I’m more considered with the things that I buy, particularly around clothing,” Ms Katralis said.

Dani Katralis and her Scarlett, 2. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The lifestyle blogger believes “getting in early” helps avoid the needless expense of leaving things to the last minute.

“Christmas panic sets in the moment it gets to two weeks before Christmas and you will buy unnecessarily as well,” Ms Katralis said. “You’re spending where you could have saved earlier.”

According to consulting firm Deloitte’s annual Retail Holiday Report, retailers are already adapting to new shopper habits by “lowering prices, discounting to clear stock, and focusing on affordable assortments”. Some are doing early tests to see which offers are the most compelling.

Nearly three quarters of retailers are also expecting higher discounts in the lead-up to Christmas to entice shoppers. Forty-three per cent believe it’s also “unlikely that consumers will pay full price these holidays”.

For some, that’s nothing to celebrate. Ms Slessor warned some smaller stores simply cannot afford to go hard in their sales.

“I think the retailers that are discounting are talking about bigger discounts than they did last year, but there is a cohort of retailers that are saying, ‘we just don’t think we can afford to discount this year’,” Ms Slessor said.

“Actually there is a group of retailers that I fear if they do discount too heavily they won’t be in business next year.”

And all retailers, big and small, are feeling added pressure from new contender Prime Big Deal Days and the early arrival of Click Frenzy’s Main Event, on October 24.

“I think we will see two big sales events and I think some retailers will go early as a reaction as opposed to actually planning it out,” Ms Slessor said.

The rise of Amazon’s Prime membership, which offers perks like free next-day delivery in most Sydney suburbs, will challenge other retailers to offer similar enticements to “get the customer over the line”, she said.

“(If) I’ve got the choice between Amazon Prime, what I see as free delivery, versus getting something that is going to take five to seven days to come to me or I can go into store, click and collect, physically touch it, feel it it’s already there, that’s a really compelling offer,” Ms Slessor said.

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Don’t be confused by the name

Black Friday sales will start well before the actual day, with some retailers expected to offer deep discounts from as early as mid-October. Most retailers start releasing their best deals the Tuesday or even Monday before Black Friday.

Black Friday is the premium sales event

While there’s plenty of sales happening throughout the year, if you’re after the best discount possible it’s during Black Friday. The bigger the brand, the more likely they are to offer their best deals on Black Friday – think Dyson and Apple.

How much will you save?

You can expect to see the biggest savings on soft and home goods like fashion, towels and bedlinen, which are often discounted by up to 70 per cent. Beauty items tend not to get discounted by more than 40 per cent, while home appliances you can expect to see a healthy 30 to 50 per cent discount. Because tech has higher margins, the discounts aren’t as big but still significant – anything from five to 20 per cent is worth celebrating.

Do I need to stay up all night?

While Black Friday began as an in-store event at midnight in the United States, there’s no need to stay up late to scoop up the best bargains. Most retailers start their sales early and will be dropping different deals through the period.

Look beyond Christmas

Black Friday isn’t just a good time to shop for Christmas presents – it’s also a great time to stock up on any household essentials. Retailers like Amazon offer once-a-year discounts on bulk cleaning supplies, toilet paper and even soft drinks, making it a great time to save on these events.