Stretched finances put damper on usual Black Friday frenzy
Shops much quieter, with fewer special offers to draw in crowds
The shopping frenzy and chaotic scenes that used to play out in stores on Black Friday before the Covid-19 pandemic were a distant memory yesterday.
While many consumers visited their favourite shops to take advantage of the discounts and specials on offer, there was generally a muted public response.
Those who spoke to the Daily Dispatch attributed this to load-shedding, some feeling the financial pinch, and specials running over a longer period than just one day.
One of the staff members at a clothing store said the turnout was not what they had expected.
He said this might have been caused by the load-shedding, which was between 6am and 9am. Matters were further complicated by the shop’s system being down, which meant it could only take cash and not do card transactions.
“This is not the turnout we had expected,” he said.
Sinesipho Ganto, from Amalinda, said people no longer showed up for Black Friday. She said the hype might have died down because prices were still the same, with discounts being offered on only a few items.
“Nothing is wonderful, and the reality is not the same discount they used to give us years ago when Black Friday was still a hype,” she said.
“I am only here because it is my payday and I am doing my shopping for the event I am going to — otherwise things have changed.”
One of the employees at the information desk at an East London mall said they were still expecting a number of people later in the day.
She said in the early hours of the morning there had been a long queue at one of the stores and everything was on discount.
“We experienced load-shedding, which probably has been a contributing factor to the number of the people who showed up.
“But now Black Friday has been lengthy. The discounts run for a week or longer, which gives people no reason to rush to get the specials.”
Marise and Georgia Gysman said they had rushed to the mall to grab a few items on discount, but had noticed not many people had done the same.
Marise said this could probably be because of finances.
“The economy is tight, which could be a contributing factor to people not showing up for Black Friday. We managed to grab a few things and left, but it is not as full as we had thought it would be.”