Talk of discounted toys, e-readers, appliances and even HDTVs is expected to drive more traffic into America's stores on Black Friday than last year, according to a preliminary Black Friday shopping survey, conducted for the National Retail Federation.
“The rules for Black Friday have changed significantly,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving Day to announce their promotions, many retailers are getting shoppers excited about Black Friday by offering sneak peeks of deals in advance, using social media to create buzz, or teasing upcoming deals on their websites.”
This year, many retailers will leverage the power of the Internet to bring shoppers into stores. According to the Shop.org eHoliday survey, conducted by BIGresearch, more than half of retailers (54.9%) will send a special email to customers about Black Friday deals and nearly four out of 10 (39.2%) will use their Facebook page to reach out to shoppers. Additionally, many retailers will utilize their website’s home page (31.4%) and Twitter (21.6%) to announce and promote Black Friday deals.
Shop.org’s CyberMonday.com, which features promotions and deals from more than 700 retailers, will feature a Deal of the Hour on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Retailers participating in the Black Friday Deal of the Hour include QVC, Drugstore.com, American Eagle, Kmart, Sears, Sephora and Sierra Trading Post. (View the full list of companies and times.) Offers will include free shipping specials, dollars off, percentages off, and free gifts with purchase.
In addition, CyberMonday.com will be distributing hundreds of dollars in gift cards from major retailers each day through Dec. 25 to its fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter.
NRF will release the results of its Black Friday weekend survey by 1:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 28 and will hold a special media briefing at 2 p.m. EST. Information will include what time people started shopping on Black Friday, where they shopped, how much they spent, and what they purchased. NRF will also be releasing findings from a new survey on the number of people expected to shop on Cyber Monday.
About the Survey
The NRF 2010 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 8,778 consumers and was conducted for NRF by BIGresearch from November 3-9, 2010. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent. Shop.org's eHoliday study, conducted by BIGresearch for Shop.org, surveyed 51 online retailers from September 1-27, 2010.
