We could be far off the mark but it seems like the Black Friday frenzy has lost a lot of steam.
Black Friday loses steam in 2020
The one day in the year where retail outlets offer the best discount deals was as flatulent as a cabbage diet in 2020. Shopping centres around the country looked no different than the days prior.
Usually, on social media, we see videos of the in-store brawls that have become the main feature of Black Friday.
The entire month, retailers have made preparations to deal with large crowds. However, as reported by on-the-ground EWN reporters, most centres were ghostly, with normal traffic and no queues.
On the ground: This is what it’s like at shopping centres
In Diepsloot, Gauteng, shoppers turned up for the basic necessities and unlike in 2019, stores like Shoprite were not overwhelmed by large crowds.
#BlackFriday that's it from @Shoprite_SA Diepsloot. The biggest shopping day of the year was so different because of #COVID19. People got just the basics.
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) November 27, 2020
Off to @Makro_SA Woodmead . RP @refsheric & AJ @AbigailJavier_ pic.twitter.com/0SiO9VFf5h
In Woodmead, the contrasts between this year’s Black Friday and others of the past were glaring. In 2019, queues heading to Makro caused a backlog in traffic on the roads.
#BlackFriday this was 2019… RP https://t.co/uGQqwrzru8
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) November 27, 2020
This year, the wholesalers are picking up crumbs with a few customers cashing in on deals in electronics.
#BlackFriday the popular item at @Makro_SA is TV, treadmills and other exercise equipment. RP pic.twitter.com/MNvDUAYgrR
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) November 27, 2020
The same scenes were observed at Canal Walk Shopping Centre in Cape Town. Shoppers were seen adhering to social distancing measures as they quietly entered the Game store.
#BlackFriday in Canal Walk, Cape Town very quiet. Randall Graaff who bought his first TV says” it’s a calm Black Friday and I thank God for it” @TimesLIVE @CapeTown @SowetanLIVE @blackfriday @canal_walk @SundayTimesZA pic.twitter.com/d06jz9ElhY
— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) November 27, 2020
Why was Black Friday a bust in 2020?
And that’s just it. The coronavirus (Covid-19) impact on jobs, the economy and overall security has been felt in all facets of life.
More so can be said about Black Friday in 2020. The deals, as reasonable as they may be, are not feasible for millions of South Africans who’ve lost their jobs this year.
We will have to wait and see what the turnout was in a financial report that is expected as early as Monday 30 November.