Average SA shopper to spend R1,600 on Black Friday sales
Eighty-seven percent of South Africans know what Black Friday is, and 66% are willing to participate in the shopping spree this year, according to a report by Black-Friday.Global. An average South African will spend over R1,600 during Black Friday sales, with clothes, electronics and shoes seen as priority purchases.
Based on statistics gathered and surveys conducted in 55 countries, the research revealed that the vast majority of consumers will shop both online and offline (64%), the rest will either opt for traditional offline-only (20%) or online-only (16%) option. For comparison, in 2017 the percentage of users choosing brick and mortar stores only was higher by almost a half (from 20,16% to 39,62%).
In each of the 55 analysed countries, the number of online transactions on Black Friday increased significantly when compared to a regular day. In Greece, users made 2,600% more purchases than usual and in South Africa, there was a 2,571% growth in transaction number. In Pakistan, users' purchasing activity increased by 11,525%.
The survey results show that the average South African bargain hunter is willing to pay R1654 ($126) in total for his/her Black Friday shopping cart. That is $68 more than Nigerian consumers, and $50 more than Kenyans.
The results also show that clothes, not electronics, are the actual apple of bargain hunters’ eye. The consumer electronics category came second in ranking, while books, sports accessories and underwear were the least popular items to buy.
Black Friday is well known for its discounts reaching as high as 80-90%. Even though the number of items available for a single dollar or with 90% discount is highly limited, those participating in Black Friday can count on legitimate bargains.
According to the company's Black Friday 2017 data, the biggest discounts were available for Americans (68% average markdown), Canadians (66%) and Ukrainians (66%). A little less impressive rebates were found in Russia (58% average markdown), Brazil (57%) and Turkey (56%). Global average stands at around 55% off.
Meanwhile, SA online stores reached 61% discount last year. When forecasting South Africans’ Black Friday 2018 expenses, it could translate into R2,587 of possible average savings for consumers.
The Black-Friday.Global report was created based on data provided by global discounts provider Picodi.com. Twelve thousand participants from 55 countries took part in the survey.
