While the sales promotions of “
Black Friday
” now extend over several days, the results of this 2021 edition are mixed.
As for physical stores, even if some consumers waited for this event to consume and also anticipated Christmas purchases, the result is deemed “
disappointing
”, by Emmanuel Le Roch, general delegate of Procos, federation for the promotion of specialized trade.
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Same story on the Trade Alliance side that advanced sales down 9.5% compared to the edition 2019. "
We do not even compare with 2020 because Black Friday had then received double positive effect: the commercial operation took place following the reopening of shops and the first week of December, even closer to the Christmas celebrations and the purchases that result from it
”, explains Yohann Petiot, Managing Director of the Trade Alliance.
Several causes explaining this lack of consumer enthusiasm for this year's edition are highlighted by professionals. “
For several days, the spread of the virus has accelerated which may have limited the number of French people in stores. In addition, this year, traders have managed their purchases with more finesse and find themselves with less stocks, so they are offering smaller promotions than usual,
”explains the CEO of Alliance du Commerce. For his part, Frank Hoët, vice-president of the Clothing Federation claims “
a certain weariness of consumers in relation to this promotional event which refers to an image of overconsumption less and less promising.
"
A return to normal for e-commerce
It should also be noted that the day of Saturday worked better than that of Friday, which is however the symbol of Black Friday.
But unlike the United States, this day is not a public holiday in France, which may explain the greater interest in Saturday.
"
Black Friday gives way to Black Saturday, which records a 24% increase in traffic to points of sale compared to Friday,
" highlights Tiendeo, a platform specializing in digital catalogs.
An observation shared by Yohann Petiot: “
Friday was not good, consumers came more at weekends, and more particularly on Saturdays
”.
As far as e-commerce is concerned, a return to normal has taken place. “
Even if this year we see a 32% drop in transactions on November 26, 2021 compared to December 4, 2020 (the date of Black Friday last year), the 2020 edition had grown by… 32%. We are therefore on a real return to normal
”, highlights Criteo, based on data from more than 1,706 French retailers. In terms of products purchased, consumers also fall into line with, according to the Criteo study, a return to the classic basket with electronics in first position, which saw an increase of 185% in sales compared to 2020, followed by the clothing and jewelry sector.
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“
Purchasing trends which also confirm a return to normal since these are high added value, expensive products, which we generally find in a classic basket - versus 2020 where toys have exploded (+ 600%) in the same way as beauty products (+ 100-150%)
”, specifies Criteo in his study.
A renewed interest in electronic products which has benefited players in the sector.
Backmarket prides itself in having growth in sales compared to Black Friday 2020, especially on Airpods with an increase of 150%.
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