For millions of people Black Friday is the time to do some serious holiday shopping — even before the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone! Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it’s one of the major shopping days of the year in the United States – falling anywhere between November 23 and 29. While it’s not recognized as an official US holiday, many employees have the day off, except those working in retail.
The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand. At the time and today, red ink indicates a loss, and black a profit. The Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to the bustling holiday shopping season.
Since Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, retail-oriented manufacturers must pitch their retail buyers in June or July about possible Day After Thanksgiving (DATG) promotions. While some of the key items are “loss leaders”, majority of customers will buy other products, which are more profitable to the retailer.
If you didn’t get a chance to offer a DATG promotion to your retail customers this year, there are plenty of other key holiday events in 2013 like Valentine’s Day, Dads/Grads, and Back to School to name a few. Most retail buyers are not proactive when seeking out new promotions to drive store traffic during key holiday events.
My recommendation to you, as the retail-oriented manufacturer, to be the one who shows the initiative and come up with as many promotions that are feasible. However, most retailers work 3-6 months out so please do not wait until the last minute to offer up a promotion for your products. Just like the shoppers who get up at the crack of dawn during Black Friday to be the first in line, be the first supplier to offer a hot promotion for the holiday shopper!
Why Black Friday is Important for Retail-Oriented Manufacturers
