, ,

Black Friday: is it helpful or harmful to small businesses?

Two business owners checking product before delivering to customer

Independent retailers may be wondering how to approach Black Friday 2024. Do customers expect it – and what are the alternatives to November’s global sales day?

Total UK sales during Black Friday reached an estimated £13.3 billion in 2023, up 7.3 per cent year-on-year, according to a report from research firm Mintel.

Hear from some small businesses to find out how they feel about Black Friday, and how consumers can do their bit to support local shops.

What is Black Friday?

Originating in the US, Black Friday is now a worldwide sales event that sees retailers offer products for a discounted price.

Deals can often be seen throughout the month of November though, and continue through to Cyber Monday.

Black Friday usually kickstarts people’s Christmas shopping and marks the beginning of a busy sales period for high street and online retailers.

When is Black Friday 2024?

Black Friday is always the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. That means this year Black Friday falls on Friday 29 November 2024.

As Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November each year, Black Friday is always at the end of the month.

Cyber Monday 2024 is on 2 December.

Should small businesses do Black Friday?

Whether or not you decide to promote Black Friday deals for your small business depends on what feels right for you and your business strategy.

However there’s a growing movement against Black Friday with many retailers choosing not to take part.

Sarah, the owner of online vintage headware shop, Sarah’s Doo-Wop Dos, explained why she decided to opt out of Black Friday sales last year:

“I don’t feel that offering such a huge discount on my handmade designs (as people expect for Black Friday) is beneficial to me or sets the right tone with my customers.”

However one independent artist, Toyosi, values the increased exposure her art can get during the Black Friday season.

She told us: “As a small business owner, visibility is super important. I’m also a black female founder so have had multiple barriers to overcome in business. This means utilising high demand deals like Black Friday is a useful strategy for sales and customer acquisition.”

Whatever approach small business owners choose, many are focused on staying true to their values.

Sarah added: “Some consumers might be more hesitant to engage in excessive purchasing, preferring to spend more mindfully and supporting businesses that align with their values.”

For some businesses, they feel it’s possible to take part in offering discounts while using the increased exposure to highlight key marketing messages.

Toyosi said: “I think sustainability is important, but making customers aware of how the products are made and sourced or recycled can be a point of emphasis even during the sales season.”

‘Turning it green’

The owner of sustainable underwear brand, Y.O.U underwear, Sarah Jordan, told us they think it’s important to acknowledge Black Friday – but in their own way.

Sarah explained: “As an ethical business with a purpose beyond profit, we mark Black Friday in a different way by turning it green.

“We run a special offer over the whole Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend where we plant a tree for every order through Ecologi – and we also continue to donate underwear to vulnerable women, girls and men through our charity partner, Smalls for All, for every item sold.”

you-underwear.jpg

Some larger retailers to boycott Black Friday

It’s not just small businesses pushing back on the annual sales event. Some larger retailers have previously avoided participating in Black Friday, including M&S and Next. They say this is because of concerns that consumers don’t see value for money.

The idea that some deals aren’t always as good as they seem is backed up by research from Which?. Their investigation found that 98 per cent of the Black Friday discounts advertised in 2023 were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.

Avoiding Black Friday – what can small businesses do?

Here are a few things independent retailers can do instead of supporting Black Friday:

  • review your pricing strategy – make sure your prices are competitive all year round
  • look at your stock – if you have older products then you might want to offer discounts, but it doesn’t need to be attached to Black Friday
  • expand your products – if most of your profit comes from one best-selling item, then it’s a good idea to see how you can offer more to your customers
  • focus on quality, not just price – consumers are looking for more than just a bargain, and they’ll come to your shop because of the small business owner behind it

Read more ways to support local businesses.

Will you be supporting Black Friday 2024? Let us know in the comments.

Latest guides and news for small businesses

Looking for self-employed insurance?

With Simply Business you can build a single self employed insurance policy combining the covers that are relevant to you. Whether it’s public liability insurance, professional indemnity or whatever else you need, we’ll run you a quick quote online, and let you decide if we’re a good fit.

Photograph: Jacob Lund/stock.adobe.com

Catriona Smith

Catriona Smith is a content and marketing professional with 12 years’ experience across the financial services, higher education, and insurance sectors. She’s also a trained NCTJ Gold Standard journalist. As a Senior Copywriter at Simply Business, Catriona has in-depth knowledge of small business concerns and specialises in tax, marketing, and business operations. Catriona lives in the seaside city of Brighton where she’s also a freelance yoga teacher.

This block is configured using JavaScript. A preview is not available in the editor.