Black Friday is THE retail benchmark for the holiday season. But with a whole weekend of special days following the Thanksgiving holiday, there’s much more in store for brands looking to make the most of this, the busiest retail weekend of the year
History of Black Friday
The term “Black Friday” is generally attributed to being coined in Philadelphia in the late 1950s/early 1960s. Crowds of shoppers would come to town to do their holiday shopping, joining tourists heading to the annual Army/Navy game the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The influx of shoppers and tourists would overwhelm the city making it a chaotic weekend for retailers and the city on the whole. It had somewhat negative connotations but beginning in the mid-1980s, savvy retailers began to market Black Friday as a time for customers to benefit from great deals. Marketers positioned Black Friday as the time companies generally went from operating at a loss, or “in the red,” to “in the black,” or operating with a profit. The implication was that it was a great time for retailers to pass savings along to their loyal customers.
Small Business Saturday/Weekend
With so many big box stores and now online merchants and platforms like Amazon getting a larger and larger share of customer dollars, the ability of small businesses to appeal to shoppers is vital. Whether in-person or online, “shopping small’ helps support your local community. Small Business Saturday® was first started by American Express in the midst of the recession in 2010. In 2011, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution in support of the day. In 2020, American Express spent approximately $200 million on initiatives to support small businesses around the globe, inspiring and invigorating homegrown businesses that give back to the vibrancy and uniqueness of their local community.
Cyber Monday
There’s no denying that online shopping is no longer a luxury – after COVID, it became a necessity in some cases. Cyber Monday is the virtual version of Black Friday. This day also provides the chance for smaller retailers to meet the larger retailers on a more even playing field. Cyber Monday on November 30, 2020, was the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history with a total of $10.8 billion in online spending.
Giving Tuesday
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. It’s a simple idea: whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to contribute toward building the better world we all want to live in. Share how you help your community and how you give back. Present one of those big checks or load up a car full of donations and take a pic! Spread some kindness.
Having your marketing plans in place to make the most of this busy and lucrative time of year is essential. BC & Associates Marketing is ready to help you come up with a cohesive, multi-focused plan to reach both loyal and potential customers during not only the busiest retail weekend but the entire holiday shopping season and all throughout the year. Contact us at (971) 238-3759 or [email protected] to find out how to best leverage your marketing efforts for your brand’s success.
