With Black Friday only a few short weeks away, I offer my opinion on how this year’s extended holiday shopping season could affect Black Friday sales in my recent Retail Rap column for Chain Store Age.
Of course the big question every year is: will retailers be looking forward to Black Friday? In terms of volume, Black Friday shopper numbers do tend to be pretty consistent from year-to-year (barring any dramatic weather impacts). It used to be that if Black Friday sales were good, retailers could count on an overall strong holiday season. While I don’t think that’s changed dramatically, I do think that because seasonal discounts are starting earlier and earlier, Black Friday is only part of the bigger picture.
Check out the full article from my recurring column, Retail Rap, at Chain Store Age.