Retailers look forward to boosting footfall with the lure of in-store discounts on Black Friday
UK retailers are expected to see a boost in footfall on Black Friday, with the lure of discounts unlocking pent-up post-payday spending, after many shoppers held back on purchasing in October in order to bag Black Friday deals, according to the latest data from retail analytics specialist RetailNext.
Mobility retailers including CareCo, Complete Care Shop and Lifestyle & Mobility are already getting in on the Black Friday action with big discounts in a bid to get shoppers into their bricks-and-mortar stores.
Original data from RetailNext’s UK shopper traffic index, which captures billions of store visits globally each year, suggests that footfall on Black Friday is expected to rise +2% year-on-year.
Gary Whittemore, Head of Sales EMEA & APAC at RetailNext, commented: “Black Friday is now an established festival of discounting, with many retailers offering up an entire month of discounting and some even starting Black Friday promotions as early as October.
“But while Black Friday discounting has become longer and more drawn-out, this hasn’t taken the shine off the event as a driver of in-store footfall performance, with the lure of bargains tempting shoppers to make store visits to pick-up deals. And, with retailers also looking to sell-through on excess stocks after unseasonable weather earlier in 2024, shoppers may find even more discounts available this year over a greater assortment of goods.”
As spending-caution remains rife among consumers, many shoppers held off making purchases in October in anticipation for Back Friday discounts, with the British Retail Consortium reporting last month total retailer sales grew by just +0.6% year-on-year, significantly weaker than September’s retail revenues.
In addition to Black Friday deals helping to unlock pent-up demand as shoppers start to snap up cut-price Christmas gifts, Black Friday performance is also expected to benefit from the discounting event falling after payday this year.
Mobility suppliers are already connecting with their retailer partners to offer competitive discounts. These include Dash Rehab, which is discounting up to 75 per cent off the RRP of a selection of powerchairs and wheelchairs, such as a red Robooter X4 (down to £1,500), the Dash Express (down to £99) and powerchairs, with prices starting from £550.
