Black Friday has already started online (WMT, AMZN, TGT, BBY)
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Walmart will start offering Black Friday deals online at 10 p.m. on November 21, CNBC reports. Kicking things off the night before Thanksgiving will make this Walmart’s earliest Black Friday start ever, but it’s also currently offering deals as a sort of preview. Amazon and Best Buy also have Black Friday deals available already, while online deals at Kohl’s start on November 19 and Target’s online deals will be available to REDcard holders November 21.
Retailers are getting an early jump on Black Friday to capture this holiday season’s projected $124 billion in US online sales, which is expected to be dominated by Thanksgiving Weekend. Thanksgiving Weekend, which runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday and includes Black Friday, is forecast to rack up $23.4 billion in US online sales, 19% of the whole season’s expected total.
By offering Black Friday-branded deals prior to Black Friday, retailers might be able to excite consumers and encourage them to spend as much as they would on the actual sales holiday, in turn boosting their performances. Retailers that start Black Friday early have a chance of being top of mind when Black Friday actually starts, securing more sales on a key day.
Investing in Black Friday e-commerce is wise since many consumers now avoid shopping on the sales holiday, likely because of the overwhelming in-store experience. Stores on Black Friday can create a frantic and stressful experience for shoppers, which may be why 60% of US consumers said Black Friday has become more overwhelming, and why 48% said they hate shopping that day.
Consumers’ continued interest in Cyber Monday — only 25% hate shopping that day — suggests that they're still interested in online deals, just not the in-store atmosphere. So, emphasizing online sales during Black Friday can help retailers maximize the day’s value even as many consumers look to avoid stores.
The focus on e-commerce for the holidays has caused retailers to expand the availability of free shipping. Seventy-nine percent of consumers said free shipping would make them more likely to shop online, according to a report from Walker Sands, which is 25% more than any other listed option.
Offering free shipping to more consumers can therefore help retailers secure more e-commerce sales over the holidays. This is likely why Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy have all made free shipping more available for just the holiday season. It’s possible that Target will benefit most because it's offering free two-day shipping with no order minimum, making it the most attractive option outside of Amazon’s pre-existing Prime delivery offerings.
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SEE ALSO: US holiday e-commerce is set to reach $124 billion