Every year, Black Friday becomes more entrenched in commercial calendars, with aggressive marketing campaigns and promises of significant discounts. However, behind the sparkling displays of this now-iconic day, a crucial question arises: is Black Friday a strategic lever or a driver of overconsumption?
Au programme :
1. Origines et évolution : d’un crash boursier à une frénésie mondiale
2. Un phénomène controversé : opportunité ou surconsommation ?
3. Le Black Friday, une opportunité aussi pour les services
4. Nos conseils : une participation raisonnée et alignée sur vos objectifs
5. Au-delà des ventes : viser la relation client et l’acquisition
Origins and Evolution: From a Stock Market Crash to Global Frenzy
The term “Black Friday” originated in the 1860s in the United States after a stock market crash. It wasn’t until much later, in the 1950s, that it became associated with post-Thanksgiving shopping. Today, it has evolved into a global event, amplified by e-commerce.
With the rise of mobile shopping, Black Friday is no longer limited to a single day. It now stretches over several weeks, including Cyber Monday and, in some cases, the entire month of November.
However, these often attractive promotions sometimes hide deceptive practices, such as fictitious price drops. In France, the Omnibus Law protects consumers by requiring that discounts be based on the lowest price from the previous 30 days, enhancing transparency.
A Controversial Phenomenon: Opportunity or Overconsumption?
Black Friday is a divisive issue.
For some professionals, it’s a golden opportunity to boost sales, especially in sectors like outdoor hospitality. Anticipating the 2025 season, this commercial dynamic can generate early bookings and fill schedules for the low season.
Others, however, see it as an encouragement for overconsumption, devaluing products and promoting an unsustainable economic model. Boycotting the event can even become a strong marketing stance. In 2020, IKEA launched its Buyback Friday, inviting customers to return their old furniture for recycling, opposing the waste traditionally associated with Black Friday.
Black Friday: An Opportunity for Services as Well
Black Friday doesn’t only benefit tangible products. Although harder to implement, service businesses can also leverage this period to offer attractive deals, such as packages or exclusive benefits. For instance, Air Europa offered up to a 25% discount on Black Friday 2023.
In both product and service sectors, demand is high, but the key lies in adopting a strategy that aligns with the company’s values.
Our Advice: A Reasoned Approach Aligned with Your Objectives
A commercial offer can be made for 3 reasons : to respond to a competitor, to energize a market, or to support communication.
It is important to note that the decision to launch a special offer should not be driven by a budget shortfall. While the main objective of such an offer is to generate additional volume and therefore extra revenue, this decision should be guided by a coherent business strategy, not internal financial pressures. After all, the customer never bases their purchasing decisions on the company’s financial situation, as they are unaware of it!
In a highly competitive market, where consumers easily compare prices, it is hard to ignore the Black Friday period without losing visibility. Since the date is known in advance, just like the winter sales for example, it strongly encourages customers to focus their purchases on this key moment. In this case, therefore, the special offer is a response to a competitor.
Align the Strategy with Your Brand Identity
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- For a premium positioning, prioritize quality offers: waived handling fees, gifts with purchase, or exclusive packages. This helps maintain the perception of quality and build customer loyalty, rather than encouraging one-off purchases motivated solely by discounts.
- Target your promotions to meet specific customer expectations (e.g., F&B, normally paid options like seat selection) while minimizing the impact on your brand image.
- Only communicate ongoing offers rather than creating new ones: in the outdoor hospitality sector, for example, Huttopia or Flower Campings have adopted Early Booking promotions. These campaigns target early bookings to optimize the low season. Creating a new Black Friday offer isn’t necessary if a discount is already in place, but taking advantage of the period to communicate it is a good idea.
Create Urgency Without Compromising Your Values
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- Offer time-limited actions to capitalize on demand without falling into a frenzy of discounts: “Don’t miss this unique chance to travel at a reduced price” (Corsair), “See you on November 29” (Air Caraïbes), “Don’t wait, book your stay now, offer available from November 25 to December 3 only” (Accor Live Limitless).
Adopt a Consistent and Sustainable Approach
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- Some brands choose to criticize the excesses of Black Friday with bold, one-off actions, such as Decathlon, which refused to participate traditionally in this event by offering discounts only in exchange for used items to be recycled. This type of positioning can leave a lasting impression, but it should be recurring.
- It’s also possible to evolve your strategy while maintaining consistency. Booking.com initially avoided explicitly participating in Black Friday, opting for campaigns focused on continuous offers (like the Genius Program). However, in response to the growing demand, the platform now offers targeted promotions during this period, incorporating them into a seasonal discount strategy, primarily during the low season.
Invest in Analytical Tools
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- To design offers aligned with your sales forecasts, a Revenue Management System (RMS) can be invaluable. It allows you to define offers based on quotas, providing limited and controlled discounts, especially during the high season. By offering an overview of current and future sales, an RMS helps identify periods where price dilution might occur.
- An RMS also optimizes stay durations. In the hospitality sector, for instance, it can make an offer more advantageous for longer stays, such as two weeks or more, compared to short stays of 2 nights via minimum-stay restrictions. It ensures more efficient resource utilization while meeting customer expectations.
Beyond Sales: Focus on Customer Relationships and Acquisition
Black Friday shouldn’t be seen solely as a sales opportunity, but also as a key moment to acquire new customers and strengthen relationships with existing ones. A well-thought-out strategy, focused on the values and expectations of your target audience, can turn this event into a long-term lever for your business.
The revenue generated during Black Friday should not be interpreted as a true incremental gain. It is crucial to analyze sales before and after this promotional period. Indeed, it is likely that sales will drop significantly in the period leading up to the event, especially for retailers who make this promotion an annual event or who heavily advertise the upcoming discounts. This can lead to strong sales cannibalization, thereby reducing the actual impact of the promotion.
In conclusion, Black Friday is neither entirely white nor entirely black. Each company must decide how to participate in it, ensuring that this decision reflects its vision and long-term priorities.
Keywords: black friday, pricing strategy; dynamic pricing, pricing consistency, commercial practices, Yield management, Revenue Management, Pricing…