Can brands effectively Indianise the Black Friday Sale?

The Black Friday sale is here, and all the fashion brands you’ve eyed are ready with the best deals. Black Friday comes the day after Thanksgiving and is a viral shopping event in the USA. Looking at the craze, many e-commerce retailers have also kickstarted it in India. Let’s check the fashion brands participating in the sale and see what they offer.

Brand experts analyse the significance that the American festive marketing concept has for the Indian consumer cohort. 

A recently released report by the Admitad partner network analysed online sales in India during Black Friday in 2022 and predicted that brands are set to witness a 70% rise in business for e-commerce on November 24, that is, Black Friday.

In American culture, the Friday after Thanksgiving is known as “Black Friday”. In the US, it usually signals the start of the Christmas shopping season. Turkey-stuffed shoppers flock to both online and offline retailers to buy holiday gifts, hoping to find the best deals and discounts on a wide range of products. Shops typically open as early as midnight or on Thanksgiving Day to showcase amazing deals and attract large crowds on Black Friday. In the US, Black Friday has always been the busiest shopping day of the year. 

But where does the term come from? There are many misconceptions about the origins of Black Friday. Many people think that Black Friday got its name because retailers stopped making losses and started offering huge discounts to shoppers. People assumed that good deals would lead to big profits because profits are recorded in black and losses in red.

 

While Black Friday occurs on November 24 and symbolises the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in areas such as the US, the UK, and Europe, it has extended its reach to markets like India.

The flagship e-commerce initiatives of the Tata Group —Tata CLiQ, Tata CLiQ Luxury, and Tata CLiQ Palette are hosting their annual and much-anticipated Black Friday Sale with a catchy tagline ‘Thank God It’s Black Friday’. 

After the festive season sales, top brands are wooing Indian customers with Black Friday sales on the e-commerce platforms. with a bevy of discounts and other enticements. Top retailers and brands such as Amazon, Nykaa, H&M, Myntra, Puma, Adidas, etc are expecting a surge in sales on the occasion of Black Friday.

In India, retailers are offering 50-70% discounts on products, free shipping, easy-to-return policies, and offers like buy-one-get-one offers on beauty products, apparel, and electronic items among others.

Black Friday Sales in India: Here is a glimpse of what is on offer:

·      CROMA

Electronic brand Croma unveiled its ‘darkest’ Black Friday sale this year. The sale will commence on 24 November and extend until 26 November.

The sale will offer big deals and discounts on electronics, smartphones, home appliances, and other gadgets with exclusive consumer promotions (such as selfies in dark attire that can unlock discount coupons).

  • Amazon

The e-commerce giant is offering discounts on a range of products including gadgets like tablets, speakers, watches, phones, laptops, etc.

  • Nykaa

The beauty platform has branded Black Friday as Pink Friday on its platform. Nykaa’s Pink Friday Sale has 50% off on over 2,100 brands this year including luxurious brands like M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury, Lakmé, Maybelline New York, and L’Oréal Paris. Nykaa is also offering 1+1 deals, early access for privileged members, and interactions with top beauty influencers.

  • Adidas

Sportswear brand Adidas will offer up to 60% discount on all purchases and an additional 20% discount at checkout while shopping online during Black Friday.

  • H&M

The fashion retailer will be offering discounts between 20-60% on various items, applicable for both online and offline purchases.

  • Ajio

Ajio provides discounts ranging from 50 to 90% on a variety of products, including clothing, accessories, footwear, and eyewear during Black Friday. The sale runs from November 24 to 27.

  • Zara

Clothing brand Zara will be providing discounts of up to 40 percent on selected items in both online and offline shopping.

  • Tata CliQ

Tata Group—Tata CLiQ, Tata CLiQ Luxury, and Tata CLiQ Palette are offering massive discounts in the much-anticipated Black Friday Sale, featuring exciting offers across a spectrum of categories, including apparel, beauty, accessories, footwear, home, jewellery, watches, and more. The sale will be live on Tata CLiQ, Tata CLiQ Luxury, and Tata CLiQ Palette till 27 November. Customers can enjoy up to 85% off on their favourite brands, along with added benefits such as free shipping, additional coupons, and bank offers on Tata CLiQ. On the other hand, Tata CLiQ Luxury is offering 40–50% off on leading brands like Calvin Klein, DKNY, Guess, and Tommy Hilfiger in the accessories section. In the handbags category, luxury brands like Aspinal of London and Mulberry will be up to 30% off and also have a coupon offer. In addition, Liu Jo will have a minimum of 50% off.

  • SHOPPER’S STOP

Shoppers Stop brings a stellar collection of brands under multiple categories of make-up, fragrance, and skincare to ensure an impeccable shopping experience for its customers. The Black Friday sale is so unzippable that absolutely everything else can wait! Visit Shoppers Stop stores and log in on mobile application and www.shoppersstop.com to lay your hands on favourite brands where discounts are up to 40% from 24th to 29th November! 

  • PANTALOONS

Pantaloons’ Black Friday sale offers up to 70% off, flat 50% off, and extra Rs. 500 off from 1000’s Of Options to Choose This Black Friday. Use Code: BLACK500.

Some other offers include: 

  • Extra Rs. 1000 off
  • Extra Rs. 1500 off
  • Extra 10% off on Yes bank credit cards

 

Impact on the brand space

Black Friday sales tend to be the beginning of winter sales in India. Each category has different offerings in this season and diapering, as a category, sees a huge demand in this season. With liberalisation, international brands are coming to the country. Brands like Marks & Spencer and Zara host Black Friday sales in the international market, and they extend the same to the Indian market. As online shopping has become huge, if a price drop happens on one brand it impacts the sales of all other brands. Then it becomes a norm or else Indian brands will face a sales loss.

Marketing challenges

However, it might also be inferred that a large cohort of Indian consumers might still lack the awareness of the concept of Black Friday. However, given that India is a very discount and promotional offers centric market, most would be comfortable with getting heavy discounts irrespective of the reason. 

Copy-pasting the same concept in the country may not work seamlessly due to cultural differences. However, with a tech-savvy Indian consumer base, brands can strategically leverage this opportunity. 

Can Black Friday ride the Indian festive wave?

Experts have differing opinions on the future of the Black Friday Sale in India. 

This concept will not find a home with brands and audiences in the near future due to its coinciding timing with India’s packed festive season. Valentine’s Day sales took off for brands only because the month of February doesn’t have another big festive occasion. On the other hand, foresees the trend turning big and evolving.  In the next ten years, this can become thirty times bigger in nature in terms of scale, considering the popularity of the Halloween festival over the years, that can happen with Black Friday as well.

A true haven for those seeking to indulge in the joyous spirit of giving, Black Friday sales in India are the best reason to go on a shopping spree.

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