Thanksgiving was 6 days later than usual, meaning the Christmas shopping time is compressed. This has retailers lowering prices way before Turkey Day. Both Kohls and Macy did just this in hopes of gaining sales in the days before Thanksgiving. “Despite the evolution in consumer shopping habits, Black Friday remains an important bellwether for the holiday season,” said Devin McGranahan, executive vice president and senior group president at Fiserv. “In 2019, consumers showed their willingness to travel for a good deal and blended their physical shopping with digital payments via mobile wallets.”

Online shopping pulled in a record $7.2 billion on Friday, according to Salesforce, which tracks online spending. That's a 14% growth over last year. On Thanksgiving, digital sales in the U.S. rose 17% to $4.1 billion; 65% of all digital orders came through a smartphone. This is the year that online shopping has finally taken over brick and mortar shopping. People are getting more comfortable buying products directly off their smartphones. 

The brands getting the most recognition on social media were PlayStation, Nintendo, Apple, Xbox, and Google according to Salesforce. Amazon, Walmart, and Target were also widely talked about. Gap and Banana Republic both offered 50% discounts on all items in-store and online. Macy’s, American Eagle, Sephora, Ulta, Bath and Body Works, and Victoria’s Secret were more moderate in their discounting, but each offered attractive door-buster sales on select items. The shorter holiday shopping season this year will put pressure on all retailers. Any brand offering online retail will need to estimate sales to allow for enough shipping time. 

Were you surprised by anyone offering or not offering discounts on Black Friday? Is there a brand I didn’t mention? Leave a comment below! If you would like more help with your communications efforts, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach out to us by sending an email to info@theburnetteagency.com.