– We believe that this is going to be very big in Norway a few years, says Ingrid Thinn Bjerke, industry director of the main organization active specialist for bt.no.
cues, pushing, endlessly with people and great deals. Friday is the Black Friday, the start of the U.S. Christmas shopping. For retail sales in the U.S. this day in terms of sales throughout the year. The prices are particularly low, opening hours extraordinarily long.
Now Norwegian retail chains started to copy the concept.
– This is a tradition that comes from the U.S. and Canada, but we see that in an increasingly global world, it spreads to other countries, says Tin Bjerke.
READ ALSO: Buying The party started in the USA
READ ALSO: You should shop for close to 10 000 in December
ALSO READ: Fewer trading days damper this year’s holiday shopping
READ ALSO: Christmas shopping for borrowed money
Old custom
tradition to start Christmas shopping on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States has its roots back in the sixties. First, in 2010 began the first Norwegian stores using the concept, and this year announced several major retail chains, including Expert, Elkjøp, komplett.no, Europris and Telenor hard for Black Friday on their own websites and in newspapers.
– Probably we will see that shopping centers follow next year, says Thinn Bjerke. She thinks this is a way to compete in an increasingly tough competition for consumers.
– The business community is the tough battle for the crowns, and online shopping is increasing. This can be a way that the physical stores can renew on, she says.
Doubled sales
Elkjøp had its first Black Friday promotion in the physical stores its last year. Andreas Niss, CEO of Elkjøp Norway, describes it as a great success.
– I will not go out with numbers, but we doubled revenue compared with what we take in on a normal day in November. It is of course so that we conceptually, we have taken this from the U.S., but Black Friday is something that works in Norway, says Niss.
He says that the point of Black Friday is to get customers into the stores early Christmas shopping, so they see what products are available.
– It’s about getting started sales in stores. Customers come in to take advantage of our special offers. At the same time they will see what other products that are available and suitable as Christmas gifts. Then they may return later to buy even more, says Niss.
He says that customers appreciate this kind of activities in the stores.
– We think it’s fun that something is happening in our stores. Here we really making out with great offers to sell much merchandise. I have noted that this is also spreading to other industries, such as food and toy industry as Black Friday will probably be even greater in the future.
– Glorified sales promotion
Tor W. Andreassen, professor of marketing at NHH, comparing Black Friday in Norway with other imported American traditions, like Halloween.
– Norway is a nation that is very receptive to everything that comes from the U.S., so therefore it is not surprising that we copy Black Friday, says Andreassen.
He says it all really just a “glorified sales campaign.”
– The whole logic is to create an event around Christmas shopping. It is hoped that an extension of the Christmas trading period will lead to more consumption. But in many industries is probably rather the case that consumers just do Christmas purchases a little earlier than they would otherwise have done, says Andreassen.
What do you think about such American traditions introduced in Norway? Have your say in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment