Today's Bullseye: Black Friday, Retailers
Okay, here is a good topic to discuss, and well outside my usual zone: Black Friday. Most Americans know this as the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the biggest shopping day of the year. It got its name from the idea that most stores became profitable for the year with their huge volume of sales that day (and everyday thereafter was gravy). You know the deal: Thanksgiving Day these "top secret" (yes, that is sarcasm) deals are revealed to the world, and dedicated shoppers can stage their pre-dawn war plans to obliterate Christmas shopping lists and drop a thermonuclear bomb on the family credit card debt. Where as once the stores opened at 7am, the frenzy now begins at 4am (maybe earlier in some cases).
Well, I have an idea to offer the retail world: "Change" is a nice buzzword these days, so maybe you can get with the program; change the rules for Black Friday.
I cannot count the number of horror stories of rude behavior, of people running over others, or knocking people out of the way to get some huge discount during those mega-discount hours early in the Black Friday day. If you want a glimpse into the worst of humanity, watch these frenzied mobs.
In fact, last year a man was trampled to death at a New York Walmart from the surging hordes of rabid shoppers. Read that again. Someone died so greedy people, who feel entitled to a deal because they got in line at a store at 4am, could get some cheap crap a bit cheaper. We value life so little? I know this is an extreme, but not to his family.
So, it is time for the retailers to change the rules, leap into the 21st century and stop the insanity; if not we may see midnight madness sales and people camping out on Thanksgiving Day.
I have just a few quick (and I mean quick-I have maybe pondered this for about 10 minutes before I started typing) ideas for change.
Offer your most valued customers (by tracking previous sales, which you must know ALL big retailers do these days) special windows of time in the days leading up to Thanksgiving to get the same sale. For example, if I spend $2K a year at Best Buy (or whatever threshold they would like to set), offer me a chance to come into the store ANYTIME between the Monday-Wednesday before Thanksgiving and select up to 2 of the best deals you are offering on the BF sales flyer, or 1 item, just some chance to cash in early. No crowd, sorry, mob to contend with. Make it convenient for your best customers to select, and PAY for the item(s). Wow, convenience, there is a marketing concept that has been tossed out the window the past decade in retail.
You can also give your reward program or credit card customers a chance too. Maybe offer them a chance to buy one such item early, maybe on WED only. You can even extend the offer to those customers on the internet, by sending them a special code to redeem only once.
Another idea is to spread these deals out over a longer period. Sure you know everyone wants to finish their Christmas shopping early, but I can tell you right now, I have only known maybe 2-3 people in my LIFE who are done shopping by the Saturday after Black Friday. So, maybe you offer some of your better customers, or even some random lottery drawn customers the same kinds of deals all during the Thanksgiving weekend or beyond. Okay maybe you don't offer the Cheapskate 47" LCD TV for $250 to those folks, but maybe you can offer an additional 5-10% off ANY one item under $500? Or offer hourly $100 gift card giveaways to encourage shoppers to be in the store during less traffic hours?
I am not in marketing (I am sure that is obvious by now), but I know I have to shop for Christmas. And I hate dealing with the parking on busy shopping days, I loathe the crowds, I despise the mob mentality, and you have no idea how much anger and contempt I have for stores which expect me to happily wait in line for an HOUR to PAY for my stuff.
I will bet most people who work in stores on Black Friday are just trying to survive the day. People are tired, frustrated, frantic and that applies to customers and employees. Break the cycle!
Amazon last year did a neat promotion where you could vote for deals and then random people were chosen to get it. Hey Wally, Best Buy: Try that! Let people come in to shop the week before Thanksgiving and register for the deal they want, and randomly draw those names the Monday-Wednesday before Thanksgiving and let them get the deal.
Look at all those free ideas Retail World! I for one hate all the rush and bustle so much, I do nearly ALL of my shopping online and for those few store visits I must make, I do my best to go on weeknights because I hate the crowds and if I need assistance, I would like to not be 1 of a hundred people waiting, but rather have a sales person's undivided attention for 5 minutes.
Listen, I know this isn't solving global warming, this doesn't give health care to the masses, but somewhere in here might be an idea to help a retailer become more profitable and customer friendly. I would spend more willingly and help make the recession grow a bit smaller.
So, is anyone out there going to break the mold?
Well, I have an idea to offer the retail world: "Change" is a nice buzzword these days, so maybe you can get with the program; change the rules for Black Friday.
I cannot count the number of horror stories of rude behavior, of people running over others, or knocking people out of the way to get some huge discount during those mega-discount hours early in the Black Friday day. If you want a glimpse into the worst of humanity, watch these frenzied mobs.
In fact, last year a man was trampled to death at a New York Walmart from the surging hordes of rabid shoppers. Read that again. Someone died so greedy people, who feel entitled to a deal because they got in line at a store at 4am, could get some cheap crap a bit cheaper. We value life so little? I know this is an extreme, but not to his family.
So, it is time for the retailers to change the rules, leap into the 21st century and stop the insanity; if not we may see midnight madness sales and people camping out on Thanksgiving Day.
I have just a few quick (and I mean quick-I have maybe pondered this for about 10 minutes before I started typing) ideas for change.
Offer your most valued customers (by tracking previous sales, which you must know ALL big retailers do these days) special windows of time in the days leading up to Thanksgiving to get the same sale. For example, if I spend $2K a year at Best Buy (or whatever threshold they would like to set), offer me a chance to come into the store ANYTIME between the Monday-Wednesday before Thanksgiving and select up to 2 of the best deals you are offering on the BF sales flyer, or 1 item, just some chance to cash in early. No crowd, sorry, mob to contend with. Make it convenient for your best customers to select, and PAY for the item(s). Wow, convenience, there is a marketing concept that has been tossed out the window the past decade in retail.
You can also give your reward program or credit card customers a chance too. Maybe offer them a chance to buy one such item early, maybe on WED only. You can even extend the offer to those customers on the internet, by sending them a special code to redeem only once.
Another idea is to spread these deals out over a longer period. Sure you know everyone wants to finish their Christmas shopping early, but I can tell you right now, I have only known maybe 2-3 people in my LIFE who are done shopping by the Saturday after Black Friday. So, maybe you offer some of your better customers, or even some random lottery drawn customers the same kinds of deals all during the Thanksgiving weekend or beyond. Okay maybe you don't offer the Cheapskate 47" LCD TV for $250 to those folks, but maybe you can offer an additional 5-10% off ANY one item under $500? Or offer hourly $100 gift card giveaways to encourage shoppers to be in the store during less traffic hours?
I am not in marketing (I am sure that is obvious by now), but I know I have to shop for Christmas. And I hate dealing with the parking on busy shopping days, I loathe the crowds, I despise the mob mentality, and you have no idea how much anger and contempt I have for stores which expect me to happily wait in line for an HOUR to PAY for my stuff.
I will bet most people who work in stores on Black Friday are just trying to survive the day. People are tired, frustrated, frantic and that applies to customers and employees. Break the cycle!
Amazon last year did a neat promotion where you could vote for deals and then random people were chosen to get it. Hey Wally, Best Buy: Try that! Let people come in to shop the week before Thanksgiving and register for the deal they want, and randomly draw those names the Monday-Wednesday before Thanksgiving and let them get the deal.
Look at all those free ideas Retail World! I for one hate all the rush and bustle so much, I do nearly ALL of my shopping online and for those few store visits I must make, I do my best to go on weeknights because I hate the crowds and if I need assistance, I would like to not be 1 of a hundred people waiting, but rather have a sales person's undivided attention for 5 minutes.
Listen, I know this isn't solving global warming, this doesn't give health care to the masses, but somewhere in here might be an idea to help a retailer become more profitable and customer friendly. I would spend more willingly and help make the recession grow a bit smaller.
So, is anyone out there going to break the mold?
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