Black Friday is the day immediately following Thanksgiving in the USA. It is the day when all stores offer huge discounts, aiming to clear their shelves of old stock and refill them with new collections.
Americans shop like crazy, trampling over each other and queuing overnight to have the best selection in this cavalcade of early Christmas shopping. Thanksgiving and Black Friday are national holidays in most American states, making them full-fledged celebrations. Everyone stands to gain from this, but especially the economy.
How is Black Friday for Romanians?
We love American holidays, a fact that became clear with the adoption of Valentine’s Day, and Black Friday is following closely behind. It is a natural move for Black Friday to exist in Romania, a country that loves low prices and discounts more than anything.
According to a Mediafax study picked up by PrimaTV, 4.7 million Romanians expressed their desire to shop on this day, with small appliances (36%), televisions (30%), and mobile phones (20%) on their lists. This year’s figures associated with the brand awareness of a national event are already a third higher than last year – and we are only talking about the 4th edition! The Black Friday holiday brings us sales and crowds of customers, so it is logical for any retailer to join the game. Here is why: in last year’s edition, Domo sold 4 million Euros worth of goods, Flanco 16 million Euros, and eMag 23 million Euros. More extensive statistics can be found here and here.
Problems that arise
Inevitably, on the day millions of people want to buy at a discount, some retailer websites freeze or crash (admittedly, fewer and fewer as we learn from past years’ experiences). Some find the solution of taking orders by phone, but there are still problems that remain unresolved. And because the internet helps us with whatever we need, I found e-magari.ro, a sort of online ANPC (National Authority for Consumer Protection). Here, consumers dissatisfied with the main online retailers write about their grievances, aiming to protect others from going through similar experiences.
Wallstreet.ro shows several ways we can be – but shouldn’t let ourselves be – fooled: fake contests, intrusive SMS messages, or even charitable causes. In the end, any new reason to market and sell is a reason for joy. Whether we are customers or suppliers on Black Friday, it is good to get into the holiday spirit and spark some bright ideas for profitable business!
