Some of the country’s top retailers and brands including names such as Amazon, Myntra, Ajio, JioMart, Croma, Nykaa, H&M, Uniqlo, Zara, Puma and Adidas have kicked off a shopping extravaganza on the occasion of Black Friday.
Black Friday, a US import, occurs on November 24 and symbolises the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in areas such as the US, the UK and Europe. Black Friday, which will take place this year from November 24 to November 26, has gained popularity in India over the last two years.
“The pandemic period was instrumental in giving this property a boost,” says Nilesh Gupta, director at Vijay Sales, an electronics retailer, which is doing a Black Friday Sale in a big way for the first time this year. “Our efforts were small earlier, but this year we have offers on wearables, electronics items, discounts on high-end TVs etc,” Gupta says.
Rival Croma has unveiled what it calls the ‘darkest’ Black Friday sale this year. The sale will offer big deals and discounts on electronics, smartphones, home appliances and other gadgets, the retailer said, with exclusive consumer promotions (such as selfies in dark attire that can unlock discount coupons) lined up for the occasion.
In the West, Black Friday is synonymous with deep discounts and steal deals as well as long queues outside big-box stores. In India, retailers are offering flat 50-70% discounts on products, running buy-one-get-one consumer offers on fashion, lifestyle, electronic and beauty products as well as offering free shipping and easy return policies for customers.
Retail experts say that Black Friday is also becoming a big retail property in India to liquidate inventory post-Diwali.
“From an Indian perspective, this is one more opportunity for shoppers to lay their hands on big deals and discounts they missed at the time of Diwali,” says Jaydeep Shetty, a Mumbai-based retail expert and consultant. “The timing also suits the Indian retail calendar,” he says.
While in the west, Black Friday is the day after the festival of Thanksgiving, in India, Black Friday falls after the festival of Diwali, allowing retailers to clear out unsold stock, ahead of the winter period, when new products will be up on shop shelves.
Nykaa, which has branded Black Friday as Pink Friday on its platform, says it is a good way for consumers to sample different products. For instance, Nykaa’s Pink Friday Sale has 50% off on over 2,100 brands this year including names such as M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury, Lakmé, Maybelline New York and L’Oréal Paris. Nykaa is also offering 1+1 deals, interactions with top beauty influencers and early access for privileged members during the sale period.
Anchit Nayar, executive director & CEO, Nykaa Beauty, said: “Leading international brands are offering deals for the very first time on our platform. The Pink Friday Sale promises to cater to all kinds of beauty shoppers and will ensure customer engagement.”
Uniqlo, which has kicked off its Arigato or Thank You Festival on the occasion of Black Friday says that it aims to celebrate with its Indian customers and offer them exclusive discounts and deals.
“Embracing the spirit of the traditional Japanese concept of Kanshasai (Thanksgiving), we aim to bring joy to our customers by offering quality LifeWear essentials at attractive prices, exclusive novelty items, and a range of exciting in-store activities,” Tomohiko Sei, CEO, Uniqlo India, said.
Sportswear brand Adidas said that it would offer up to 60% discount on all purchases and an additional 20% discount at checkout while shopping online during Black Friday. While apparel retailer H&M said it was offering between 20-60% off on various items.