Black Friday sales events a sign of the times

Black Friday has become one of the biggest shopping events of the Australian retail landscape.

Edwina McCannEditorial director, Prestige

According to research from the retail consultancy Retail Doctor Group, three out of four people intend to buy, or will consider buying, something from the Black Friday sales.

3 min read

7:51PMNovember 27, 2024

Once solely a deeply American tradition, Black Friday has become an important part of
the Australian retail landscape. Just as Halloween is now a new tradition for many Australian families as the way we live becomes ever more global, consumer shopping culture has shifted.

The Boxing Day sales, previously a mark-in-the-diary event, have been replaced by Black Friday as one of the biggest shopping events of the year.

Black Friday traditionally started on the Friday after the US Thanksgiving holiday. However, as you may have noticed, many retailers have already kicked things off, spruiking sales and deals ahead of the event.

The idea of Black Friday as we know it today is said to have originated in Philadelphia in the 1950s. It was reportedly a term coined by traffic police who were frustrated by the influx
of cars into the CBD as shoppers descended for post-Thanksgiving Day indulgences.

In any case, plenty of Australians are planning to participate. According to research from the retail consultancy Retail Doctor Group, three out of four people intend to buy, or will consider buying, something from the Black Friday sales.

Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis, chief operating officer and head of insights at Retail Doctor Group, notes that Australian consumers have truly embraced the event and that retailers are taking note. Beyond grabbing a bargain, she says the event represents a shift in consumer culture.

“More Australian retailers are also taking part in Black Friday now to keep up with consumer demand, with some sales starting as early as October,” she says.

“Other sales events such as Singles Day have not seen growth in the past three years, showing that rather than a pure demand to save money, this specific sales event has grabbed the attention of consumers.”

According to research from Roy Morgan, Australians are expected to spend a record $6.7bn during the four days between Black Friday and the following Cyber Monday (an online-focused sales event). This is an increase of 5.5 per cent on the previous year’s figures.

What’s more, the six-week lead-up to Christmas is expected to provide a $69.7bn boost to
retail sales, up 2.7 per cent on last year’s results.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive officer Paul Zahra says Australian shoppers are savvier than ever.

“They’re looking for the best value when it comes to buying presents for their loved ones, which is why sales events like Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend are consistently growing in popularity.

“We are also seeing a continued trend towards spending on little luxuries, while some broader discretionary categories are forecasted to be in decline,” he said in a press release.

Lloyd-Wallis agrees that the many Australians who are feeling the cost-of-living pinch want to maximise this opportunity to extend their budgets in a fiscally demanding period.

“This year consumers are increasingly time poor and also more conscious of their budgets,” she says. “The number-one barrier to shopping over the festive period is the cost and one in five consumers say they don’t have enough time.”

Smart retailers, as Lloyd-Wallis notes, will ensure that there is as little friction as possible
for buyers. They’re expecting inspiration and personalisation based on past purchases, and
take note of a retailer’s email and social media communications.

Removing friction is a major reason The Australian has committed to helping its readers navigate this major shopping event. With floods of new offers being announced daily, it is easy
to become overwhelmed – and you certainly would not be alone in making a regrettable purchase in the frenzy of the sales.

Enabling smart, considered purchases in the categories that we know you care about – such
as technology, travel and wine – is the reason we have launched this section. You will find corresponding articles with links to products our editors recommend on our website.

Harnessing the knowledge of our expert editors – all of them leaders in their field – we’ll help our readers navigate through the slew of deals available. This includes recommendations from John Lehmann, cellar director of The Australian Wine Club and The Australian’s technology editor, Jared Lynch.

Our editors have searched far and wide before finely homing in on the deals they’re recommending to our readers. Theirs are the tried, tested and relied upon opinions
you can trust.

Happy shopping.