Tuesday Tip: Black Friday Information

The day after Thanksgiving, commonly known as Black Friday, officially marks the first Christmas buying day of the year. This year Black Friday will be November 27, 2009. Black Friday can be a retailer’s best and worst dream. While traditionally this day brings in the most foot traffic of any day in the year, it has not always brought in the most sales. Usually the day before Christmas rakes in the highest amount of profit for store owners.

Here are a few facts about Black Friday to consider as you prepare your store for the crowds:

The term Black Friday originates back to the 1960s in Philadelphia, referring to the overcrowded sidewalks and busy streets.
At the top of the selling list in 2008 was the Nintendo Wii, Ugg boots, Sony Blu-Ray Disc Player, Samsung’s 52” LCD TV and Nintendo’s Wii Fit.
Black Friday is not an official holiday, however most employees get the day off (except those working in retail and banking).

The key for retailers is to turn window shoppers into buyers this holiday season. Some tactics to consider are utilizing holiday signs, advertising early bird specials, giving freebies with a certain purchase or offering a percent off at a certain time of the day.

What are some of the best and worst experiences you have gone through with your store during Black Friday? We would love to hear your retail stories!

Tags: Add new tag, black friday, holidays, retail tips, tuesday tips

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 8:13 am and is filed under All, Holiday, Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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I have a kids clothing store that is fun and funky! We have zebra ceilings, pink flying pigs, and a different color in each themed room. We sell a lot of hairbows that are just as wild! My question, what is a cute idea of displaying all the bows? My area to use is 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide. – Tracie, TX

You definitely have a lot of options when it comes to displaying acccessories in your store, no matter how wild the decor! If you are looking to display a large amount of hair bows all at one time, consider some different types of floor displays.

You could use 2X6 grid panel and attach legs to it so that it stands freely. Then you can attach peghooks of any size to display your bows. Another option is a rotating slatwall unit. Just attach some slatwall peghooks and you will be able to have a display that rotates for customer convenience.

There is also a rotating peg displayer that has 4 tiers where you can hang your hair bows. It rotates and is very light and portable so you can move it around to suit the changing display needs of your store. There is also a counter-top version that is perfect for those impulse buys at the check out.

You could also use swivel clips to clip the hair ribbons and bows and hang them anywhere in your store. Since your store is fun and funky, don’t be afraid to go wild with any of your displays! – Store Supply Guy

I need help re-decorating the displays for my vendor/tent shop. I’m on a budget and am thinking of adding Self-Standing Grid-Wall systems. Items must be easy to move & set-up since my store is set-up at horse shows. I am a one-person shop and I sell Spanish Flamenco Equestrian and Dance Dresses. Could these work for me? – Maura

For any retailer that is on the go and traveling to trade shows to sell their wares, grid panels and accessories are a portable and easy to use system to “set up shop” anywhere you go! Both slat-grid panels and square grid panels can be attached to legs or rolling bases to create an attractive and enticing display.

Use a combination of accessories like shelving, brackets, peghooks, waterfalls, baskets, hangrails and even lights to show off your merchandise. Dresses could be displayed attractively by using waterfall faceouts, or by using a quarter-circle hangrail attached to two panels connected into a “V” shape.

Bright colors will stand out against chrome, white or black panels, and set up and breakdown are easy. However you set up your traveling store with grid panels, use your imagination! There are thousands of combinations that are affordable and sure to help you sell your merchandise. – Store Supply Guy