Since being introduced to South Africa, Black Friday has become the most important date in the calendar for retailers. In fact, in 2018, Google reported that South Africa topped the list of the most online searches for Black Friday globally – more than any other country.
According to PriceCheck CEO, Chloe Lötter, “comparison tools like PriceCheck are invaluable to retailers during periods of increased online spending such as Black Friday.” This year the big day falls on the 29th November, while Cyber Monday falls on 2nd December. “This will be a boon for retailers looking to take advantage of payday spending,” adds Lötter.
In 2018, PriceCheck saw a nearly 200% increase in users day-on-day on Black Friday, with more than 82,500 unique products clicked over the campaign week, and over 2.2 million people using the popular comparison tool to find the best bargains. “PriceCheck adds value by sending highly qualified consumers to merchants saving them both time and money. These visitors are looking for the best deals from the retailers that PriceCheck recommends – whether they are big or small,” explains Lötter.
PriceCheck went ‘behind the scenes’ with some of their top retailers. Here’s what they had to say about what it’s like to participate in this annual shopping phenomenon:
“The growth we have seen over the last few years is extreme and shows no signs of slowing down. Despite having been involved in this period for years and building efficiencies into tackling the monster that is Black Friday, we always find new, ambitious projects and things we never thought of in previous years, so it is always a fresh new challenge.” Clynton McCalgan, Head of Digital at popular retailer Superbalist
Clicks Chief Commercial Officer Rachel Wrigglesworth also enjoys the festivity around this increasingly popular shopping period. “It has completely changed the manner in which people shop in the run-up to Christmas,” she says. “Customers plan far in advance of the event and set aside savings to spend during this period. Google data shows us that customers start searching weeks before the event.”
Well-known South African online marketplace and auction site bidorbuy has also reported record sales during this period. “In 2018, we saw high double-digit year-on-year sales growth in our home and living category, while toys and sport and leisure broke into our top categories,” says Marketing Manager Anne-Marie Green.
For Greg le Roux, CEO of e-commerce site Loot, the Black Friday weekend itself is the culmination of months of hard work, all building to that midnight moment that has come to define the festive shopping season in the online world. “We look forward to delivering another frenzied dose of massive savings to our valued customers and partners this Black Friday,” he said.
South African online purchasing behaviour has shown that consumers tend to go for trust over price point, making it an ideal time of the year for online stores to establish credibility and delight their existing customers.
Comparison tools such as PriceCheck provide transparency in online shopping that is designed to help retailers do just this. As a one-stop destination for all Black Friday deals, it ensures that retailers can make the most of the months of planning and merchandising that goes into preparing for the frenzy that is Black Friday.
About PriceCheck
PriceCheck is Africa’s largest product discovery and comparison service showcasing an extensive range of products from South Africa’s favourite and most trusted stores. PriceCheck is the only place where consumers can see all the best deals aggregated in one place. It enables consumers to easily compare products and prices and to make educated buying decisions.
For more information visit www.pricecheck.co.za