Stores brace for
SHOPPING malls in Kimberley will be increasing security personnel to control the massive crowds expected to descend on retail stores tomorrow for “Black Friday”, considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year.
While Black Friday is traditionally considered an American event and the unofficial kick-off to the Christmas shopping season, the day was also introduced to South Africa in 2014 and fast gained popularity among shoppers, who took advantage of the specials offered by many retailers.
Black Friday is the informal name for the day following Thanksgiving in the US (the fourth Thursday of November), and it’s one of the major shopping days of the year.
According to www.blackfriday. com, the term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kick-off to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss and black a profit.
Ever since the start of the modern Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season.
As retailers began to realise they could draw big crowds by discounting prices, Black Friday became the day to shop, even better than those last-minute Christmas sales.
In Kimberley, the day has become massively popular, with shops offering Black Friday specials often experiencing stampedes and even fistfights among shoppers trying to get their hands on discounted goods.
Diamond Pavilion Mall general manager, Amanda Barra, said yesterday that the mall would be offering extended shopping hours for Black Friday, with the majority of shops in the mall participating.
“The mall will be open from 6.30am until 7pm for trading. Checkers will commence trading at 6.30am, with various other shops opening at 7am,” Barra said.
She added that the mall would increase the number of security guards and cleaning personnel on duty during Black Friday.
“Last year, for the first time, we experienced an above average influx of shoppers to the mall and we believe this year will be no different. We pride ourselves in providing a safe and clean environment for our customers at all times. With the expected increase in footfall to the mall on Friday we have increased the number of security officers as well as cleaning personnel.”
North Cape Mall spokesperson,
Brett Exner, yesterday also indicated that the mall would be making extra provisions with regard to security, as well as crowd and traffic control on Black Friday.
Exner said that Black Friday had proved to be an “unprecedented, huge success” in South Africa.
“A number of stores in North Cape Mall will be participating and customers can follow promotional activity from the respective retailers in the media. The most interesting of these promotional activities is Game, who are planning to trade at the North Cape Mall store from 12am on the night of November 23, 2017, right through to 7pm on Friday, November 24. Game will also be employing additional security for the store’s extended trading hours,” Exner said.
Meanwhile, as South African consumers and retailers prepare for the shopping spree associated with Black Friday and Cyber
Monday, the real achievement for the country will be the expected improvement in the adoption of e-commerce.
This is according to Dr Christoph Nieuwoudt, CEO of FNB Consumer, who yesterday said that South Africa’s e-commerce was likely to get a boost around Black Friday and Cyber Monday as some consumers will be looking to avoid the long queues associated with such shopping sprees.
“Any savvy shopper can cash in on the specials without spending time in queues and traffic, trying to move from one destination to another.
“While e-commerce is still in its infancy in South Africa compared to global standards, both the consumer and retail sectors are warming up to the use of technology to deliver and acquire goods and service. From placing a food delivery order, buying clothing, booking a