There are many people, things and even places in the world today whose names are either directly opposite their intended purposes or actually contradict what they stand for. One popular example is ‘’Black Friday’’.
The first thing to pop up in many minds at the mention of ‘’Black Friday’’ is gloomy and usually very negative. Many people who have never heard of the term associate it with death, a disaster or a tragedy that happened one Friday. Contrary to this, ‘’Black Friday’’ actually brings good news to people all over the world.
There are many different accounts of it’s origin but one that has been consistent dates back to the early 1950’s when huge crowds of shoppers and tourists went to the city of Philadelphia on the Friday after Thanksgiving to rush for highly discounted items. Cops had to work long hours to cover the crowds and traffic.
Although it is believed to have originated from the USA, many European countries and other parts of the world have since held on to this sale and celebrate it each year. As with other highly beneficial practices, Africans have gradually hopped on the Black Friday bandwagon with e-commerce giant Jumia leading the way.
As we look forward to this year’s event, we dive deep into whether Black Friday is a myth or a blessing to Ghanaians.
Firstly let’s remind ourselves that the official global date for this year’s ‘’Black Friday’’ sales is 26th November 2021. However, with customers anxiously waiting and lots of amazing deals and discounts on a plethora of products across many categories, online shops like Jumia are running the sale for the whole month of November. From Friday 5th to Sunday 28th November, customers can go online and get their quality products at amazing prices because ‘’Everyday is Black Friday’’.
Black Friday is a clear opportunity for retailers to capitalise on customer demand and bring extra traffic to their sites. This is because customers are looking for deals, they’re also shopping for Christmas, and Black Friday drives a lot of traffic and sales within a short period. Secondly, many vendors and brands see Black Friday as a great opportunity to clear old inventory in order to introduce newer stock in time for Christmas. This usually is the case for fashion retailers, but electronics retailers can also offer discounts on items like TVs, gaming consoles and laptops knowing that newer models will soon be released. Another benefit of Black Friday sales to online retail companies is the opportunity to acquire new customers. Due to the heavily discounted rates and giveaways, the apps and websites become so attractive and many customers who may never have shopped online will use these platforms for the first time. Of course based on their levels of satisfaction, it is likely they will be retained for future business.
For consumers, this is a time to enjoy the best deals all year round. Whatever you have on your wishlist, be sure to get it for far less than its original price during Black Friday. Maybe this is the most obvious benefit. Many people do their research well ahead of time to find out which store they’ll be visiting to get their top Black Friday pick of the season. It is also very entertaining for a lot of people. Preparing and staying awake late at night just to get that desired product at a specific price can be stressful but highly entertaining. Competing with millions of other online shoppers to get flash sales or avoid getting your preferred item running out of stock can be fun sometimes.This can provide hours of diversion from the day-to-day pressure and stress from work.
Additionally, due to the massive attention and heavy numbers of shoppers during this period, many online retail companies and sellers need more staff to handle the pressure that comes with Black Friday. This provides jobs for many people and gives an opportunity to make extra money.
In the end, Black Friday isn’t a myth after all. It is actually a blessing to everyone. Although it has some negative effects as well, it is obvious that sellers, online retail companies, consumers and even unemployed Ghanaians will benefit greatly from this sale. Are you ready?
SOMETHING BIG IS COMING!
