Why Black Friday is in desperate need of some retail (and strategic) therapy

They came. They saw. They shopped until they dropped. 

That was the sentiment that used to be attached to Black Friday. The hype surrounding its arrival was akin to that of any global cultural moment – think World Cup (or Skims announcing a Nike collab). 

It brought the parking lots of Walmart and Target to an abrupt standstill. When the chaos crossed the Atlantic, UK shoppers were compelled to storm the doors of Asda and Tesco in the hopes of grabbing a discounted flatscreen. At its peak, the “celebration” became so culturally dominant that South Park dedicated a three-part special to it, capped off with a Game of Thrones crossover.

But now the future doesn’t necessarily look so bright. Google Trends shows that interest has fallen for four consecutive years – not exactly a picture of perfect health, is it?!

This begs the question: are we becoming a bit over Black Friday? Has it lost some of that cultural cachet, becoming little more than Valentine’s Day without the signature colour? 

The only constant is change

Right off the bat, retailers and brands are competing with tough economic conditions. Inflation continues to leave its mark. With prices in September 3.8% higher than a year ago, consumer purchasing power has taken a knock. Some shoppers have taken to tying their purse strings in knots, limiting themselves to the basics.

On the face of it, Black Friday has managed to maintain a strong pulse in spite of the cost of living pressures. It was the UK’s biggest online shopping day in 2024, with total online spend exceeding £1.12 billion. If anyone doubted that digital is where the action is, look at TikTok Shop UK, which experienced major spikes in both revenue and total shoppers last Black Friday (179% and 131% respectively). 

If the money continues to roll in, is there a problem? Well, yes there is. 

Black Friday has become as crowded as Oxford Circus tube station at 5pm – you can’t breathe for all the brands trying to shove their wares in your face. Not to mention the fact that you can’t count on leaving shoppers starstruck by “exclusive discounts” and “time-sensitive exclusives” anymore, thanks partly to social commerce platforms which have seen product drops go from novelty to everyday. 

All these factors should be enough to make retailers and brands review their Black Friday strategies. It would be naive to expect shoppers to come running the minute the Thanksgiving turkey settles. If they want to win, they need to change tack – and there’s no time like the present. 

Bucking the trend

It’s not Black Friday that’s broken – the numbers prove its staying power. The issue is that promotional content has become bland. It’s become not only acceptable, but expected to slap a discount code over a picture of a product with the caption “limited time only”.

This is generic. Predictable. A surefire way to condemn your brand to obscurity. So…how do you stand out? Radically, some brands are adopting the strategy of being the antithesis of Black Friday. 

Even before it was fashionable to do so, Patagonia embraced the role of poster child for environmentally-conscious consumerism. Its founder literally donated the brand to a charitable trust. The brand’s anti-Black Friday campaigns – Don’t Buy This Jacket and Buy Less, Demand More – stood out because it was so counter-intuitive and not another blatant attempt to squeeze every penny from shoppers. Rather, it used the moment to advocate for a more circular economy. 

ASKET takes it one step further. For eight years running, the Swedish retailer has shut up shop completely. No in-store traffic, no online checkouts, no incoming revenue of any kind. A bold strategy? Maybe. A shrewd way to hammer home your values at a time when authenticity and purpose is more resonant than ever? Definitely. 

On the flip side, if you choose to play in this crowded space – find your own place! That’s what Cards Against Humanity did when it created a ‘99% off’ promotion. The catch: this wasn’t on any of its usual products. Instead, shoppers were treated to unique (and somewhat bizarre) items ranging from diamond rings to medieval weapons. However, this wasn’t completely out of the blue. Rather, this level of absurdity perfectly aligned with the brand’s identity, allowing it to cut through while staying true to its roots. 

What about the social of it all?

Nobody is under any illusions about Black Friday’s main objective: to push brand and sell products. But does that mean its impact has to be limited to a single 24-hour period?

A customer doesn’t have to be just for Black Friday. As brands increasingly understand the value of playing in subcultures and audience communities to nurture deeper emotional connections built on authenticity, the best and brightest should be looking at the event through a similar lens. It can be a springboard to ignite love and passion amongst shoppers that exists long after the clock strikes midnight, be it through exclusive rewards or limited access in the coming days, weeks and months. 

And what better way to insert your brand into communities than partnering with endemic influencers and creators! Not only are these individuals immersed in the latest trends; they have a tangible impact on sales. System1 and the IPA found that nearly two-thirds of shoppers are likely to buy a product recommended by someone they follow.

In this new landscape, social and discovery platforms can be your new digital storefronts. The likes of LTK, Amazon Storefront and ShopMy have transformed influencers into ecommerce assistants. Look at how ASOS and Sephora have brought out the influencer big guns such as Rachel Spicer and Nicola Chapman for previous Black Friday activations.

These figures are “always on”, building content portfolios rooted in authenticity. More importantly, they’re reinforcing this pattern of behaviour among their communities all year round. That means that when Black Friday rolls around, it’s not a hard, abrupt sell – but a trusted touchpoint.

Extending Black Friday’s shelf life

For anyone that was starting to doubt Black Friday’s relevance, let this be a timely reminder that it remains an effective way to get in front of shoppers when they’re poised to shop. However, it’s time for retailers and brands to stop thinking that participation alone will earn their attention (and their business). 

Black Friday should be treated the same as any campaign. Don’t let the moment blind you from thinking about the long game. That means serving your community, staying true to your identity and values – and above all, devising ways to continue talking to them for the other 364 days of the year. 

Author: James Sackey, Lead Strategist