Chapter 11
Big Buying on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday has long been a U.S. shopping tradition. It’s named for the day after Thanksgiving
(fourth Thursday in November), when retail businesses move from the “red” into the “black”—
become profitable— as consumers start buying for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. Over the
years, retailers and product marketers have shaped shoppers’ expectations and stimulated word
of mouth by offering deep discounts on desirable gift items such as televisions, but in limited
quantities. Because consumers have learned that they must arrive early to take advantage of
special pricing, many talk about their plans in advance and arrange to shop together, braving
lines and crowds to get bargains they’ll brag about later.
Media coverage of Black Friday has magnified the focus on bargain hunting and generated
even more word-of-mouth excitement in recent years. Not all of the news has been positive:
Reports include incidents of violence, long lines at some stores, and complaints from shoppers
unable to buy what they wanted. Meanwhile, in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, brand and
retail marketers spotlight special pricing and early opening hours in commercials, print ads,
radio, and via social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
In 2011, the news that some stores and malls would open at midnight or earlier on the night of
Thanksgiving touched off a firestorm of online and offline comments, some in support and some
in opposition. When the gigantic Mall of America in Minnesota opened at midnight on
Thanksgiving, 15,000 shoppers rushed in, including many Gen Y consumers who told reporters
that they preferred late-night shopping to the usual early-morning shopping of Black Friday. By
the end of the day, more than 200,000 shoppers had visited the mall, part of the record 86 million
U.S. consumers who shopped in stores on that day. Nearly 25 percent of Black Friday shoppers
arrived at stores on midnight or earlier, for the few stores that were open. Millions of consumers
logged onto retail websites or used their smartphones or tablet computers to shop before or on
Black Friday, because many retailers offered special deals in advance.
Cyber Monday, the Monday after Black Friday, is an online shopping “tradition” started by a
retail association in 2005. It quickly turned into the busiest online buying day of the year, with
consumers clicking to buy from home or at work. Marketers have helped this Internet age
tradition along by e-mailing discount offers, posting bargains on sites and Facebook, tweeting
about hourly specials, and touting the convenience of buying with a click instead of crowding into
stores. Reports in mainstream media, as well as comments on technology blogs and in social
media, have also helped to popularize Cyber Monday as an online shopping day.
Individual marketers are hoping to attract customers by advertising their own shopping days
during this big buying weekend in November. For example, the telecommunications firm T–
Mobile USA [http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/company/1190795?u=tlearn_trl] recently
promoted discounts on smartphones and tablet devices on “Magenta Saturday,” named for its
brand color.
Mattel [http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/company/305542?u=tlearn_trl ] has offered deep
discounts on toys for “Pink Friday” and “Blue Friday,” which coincide with Black Friday.
Deal–a–day websites such as livingsocial.com and groupon.com also offer Black Friday
specials, targeting bargain seekers who receive offers by e–mail. Watch for even more
marketing messages and non–marketing conversations about these two shopping days as the
next holiday buying season approaches.
Extreme shopping days like Black Friday are also common around the globe. For example, on
December 27, millions of shoppers in Japan simultaneously shop to prepare for the New Year’s
festivities.
i
CASE QUESTIONS
1. What role do you think normative influence and consumer socialization have played in the
ongoing popularity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
2. What kinds of opinion leaders would you recommend that retailers target to influence
consumers’ decisions about where and when to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
3. How is the valence of information about Black Friday and Cyber Monday likely to influence
consumers’ decisions about where and when to shop on those days?
4. What kind of shopping experiences and emotions do consumers feel when shopping
together?
i