Black Friday, which this year takes place on Friday November 25, running until Cyber Monday on November 28, is always a bone of contention for independents, with major retailers’ offers and discounts spanning most of November, the all-important run up to Christmas trading period.
“Due to the high street’s demands, we have been forced to participate in Black Friday,” Priya Aurora Crowe, co-founder of multiple independent Lark – which has 12 gift and lifestyle stores in and around South West London – told GiftsandHome.net.
“For over 18 years, we have avoided all types of mass discounting, yet we have succumbed to bringing Black Friday into all of our stores. This is something we do not wish to encourage but, in order to be competitive with the high street, and stay in line with evolving customer spending habits, who now budget for buying most Christmas presents on this date, we have had to submit to the omnipotent Black Friday curse.”
Continues Priya: “the worst part is that we are trying to directly compete with big retailers who rapidly inflate their product prices before Black Friday in order for their Black Friday offering to seem like a great deal. How are we able to compete with this? I do not wish to manipulate my customers by unethical methods, offering ludicrous deals that are merely fictional. These customers who come to my stores are my local people, part of my local community, and are fundamental for the survival of my local business.
“So yet again, we take the hit, we make an honest offer for this event, as the customer is always right and the customer expects Black Friday deals from all retailers. Hence, we let the customer win, as we are trained to do in this industry, but at whose expense? Oh, of course, I forgot … ours. The independent!”
