Updated: SA retailers' plans for Black Friday 2021

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If current predictions are realised, Black Friday sales performance for this year's event will outdo the lacklustre performance experienced in 2020.

Many companies have worked on expanding their goods on Black Friday promo available through online channels to cater to the growing number of shoppers who have embraced e-commerce, while some of the retailers who experienced mayhem in-store during the sale event in previous years opted to priorities customer safety and limit the chances of overcrowding by extending their Black Friday campaigns over a few weeks instead.

Here's an overview of some of the plans retailers have in place for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, taking place this year on 26 and 29 November respectively.

Takealot

Takealot kicked off its month-long Black Friday promotion on 1 November, with over 100,000 deals going live during the month. Customers have been able to shop weekly Blue Dot Countdown deals in the lead-up to the e-tailer’s main five-day Blue Dot Sale.

The annual Blue Dot Sale will begin at one-minute past midnight on 26 November (Black Friday) and will run for 5 days over Black Friday weekend into Cyber Monday (29 November) and Takealot Tuesday (30 November), with up to 50% off thousands of deals.

This year, Takealot Tuesday will add extra focus on showcasing deals sold by Takealot Marketplace sellers (specifically small to medium-sized South African businesses that utilise Takealot to sell and deliver their products) as well as products exclusive to Takealot.

Pick n Pay

Pick n Pay launched early Black Friday deals this month, in the lead up to Black Friday - one of its most popular shopping days of the year. Customers can save up to 50% on thousands of products across groceries, liquor, household goods and big ticket items like appliances and electronics.

Pick n Pay said a strong focus for the Black Friday promotion this year is ‘pantry loading’, after noticing that its customers used Black Friday 2020 to stock up on everyday basic grocery items. Majority of these deals will be Smart Price Black Friday deals meaning customers who swipe their Smart Shopper card will get the best savings, as well as cashback in points.

The retailer’s on-demand delivery app Pick n Pay Asap! will be participating on a much larger scale this year. To cater to the growing number of customers who have taken to grocery shopping online.

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Shoprite and Checkers

Shoprite and Checkers promised “deep discounts” between Thursday, 25 to Sunday, 28 November 2021 with up to 50% off everyday essentials, groceries, toys, and more. The majority of the Black Friday deals will only be accessible to members of the Xtra Savings rewards programme.

In response to Covid-19, deals will again be valid for four days to give customers more time to plan and shop, and to prevent overcrowding in store. Black Friday wine and liquor deals will also be available online at the new LiquorShop Online.

Shoppers who use their Money Market Account to pay at any Shoprite or Checkers supermarket during Black Friday will receive R10 back for every R100 spent to use on their next shop.

Makro and Game

To avoid the in-store franzy and overcrowding associated with Black Friday, Makro and Game have been running an extended Black Friday campaign, with new deals announced each week throughout the month until 28 November.

The campaign has featured four weeks of sales events across a range of products, including home appliances, electronics, cooking equipment, pantry and toiletry essentials. Deals are available in stores as well as on the Makro and Game websites.

For the first time, Game also extended its Price Beat Promise to its Black November promotion, so if a customer finds a product cheaper anywhere else, Game will match it and give the customer 10% back on the difference.

Woolworths

Woolworths is partaking in Black Friday festivities in store and online, offering up to 40% off fashion, beauty and homeware. Current deals include 30% off women’s fashion and sneakers, 30% off 2 WBeauty products, and 20% off selected appliances.

WRewards members can score extra savings with mystery deals announced during the month.

Clicks

Health and beauty retailer Clicks is launching weekly deals, which began on 19 November and will continue for an extended period until Thursday, 2 December.

Each week Clicks will release Black Friday deals of up to 40-50% off kitchen appliances, baby essentials, nutrition, fragrances, health products, makeup, skincare, home appliances and tech. Deals will be available in store and online.

Dis-Chem

Dis-Chem is once again running a week-long Black Friday promotion from Monday, 22 November until Sunday, 28 November. Further special deals will be on offer on Black Friday itself, with additional promotions being made available from Friday the 26th to Sunday the 28th. The retailer will also run selected online exclusive deals over that three-day period.

Dis-chem promised “big discounts”, and said it expanded the range of Black Friday goods on offer in store and online to provide more value across a broader range of categories.

Following high consumer take-up last year of medical specials, the retailer is repeating offers for wheelchairs, walking sticks, walkers, blood pressure monitors, first aid kits and glucose test strips. Added to that will be specials on items ranging from household detergents to bodybuilding supplements, personal care items, baby products and electric goods.

Superbalist

Online fashion retailer Superbalist is running its Black Friday Showdown between 24 and 29 November. Shoppers can score up to 70% off fashion, homeware and beauty.

The website will be launching early-access deals on 24 and 25 November across all departments ahead of Black Friday, which takes place from 12am on 26 November. This will be followed by additional post-Black Friday deals on 27 and 28 November (Black Friday weekend) leading up to Cyber Monday on 29 November.

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TFG

TFG, formerly known as The Foschini Group, is offering Black Friday deals across 20 of its retail brands: @home, @homelivingspace, American Swiss, Archive, Exact, Fabiani, Fix, Foschini, Galaxy & Co., G-Star Raw, Hi, Jet, Markham, Relay Jeans, Renegade Fashion Outlet, Sneaker Factory, Sportscene, Sterns, Totalsports and the TFG online marketplace MyTFGWorld.

Customers will be able to shop over 50,000 deals in-store or online. Promotions vary in their duration according to brand, with some having begun early in November and extending until Cyber Monday. Offers range from 3-for-2, percentage-off offers, buy-1-and-get-1-free and online exclusive deals.

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Adidas

Adidas fans can take advantage of discounts of up to 50% at adidas.com from 22-29 November, and up to 40% at Adidas stores nationwide from 24-29 November.

Shoppers can sign up to the Adidas 3Stripes programme online, which will give them early access to deals ahead of the official sale period.

CyberCellar

Drinks e-tailer CyberCellar is running its Black Friday promotion between 26 and 30 November this year, with a handful of R1 deals thrown into the mix.

Customers are encouraged to sign up to the CyberCellar mailing list for first access to the promotion and a R100 voucher to spend on Black Friday deals.

Samsung

Samsung has been offering rotating weekly Black Friday deals on selected TVs, smartphones, wearables, tablets, fridges and home appliances.

The brand is running its Black Friday promotion until 1 December, with deals available online via the Samsung website or in participating retailers.

Swiiitch Beauty

Local skincare and beauty brand Swiiitch Beauty has kicked off its annual #swiitchweek sale, running from Thursday, 25 November until Wednesday, 1 December. Individual Swiiitch products will all be priced at R130 and under, while the Swiitch skin set (valued at R1080) will be R699 for the duration of the sale.

The brand is also using the promotion period to launch its CicaGel anti-blemish serum. The #swiitchweek sale takes place online via the Swiiitch Beauty website and in store at Egg in Cavendish Square, Cape Town.

Faithful to Nature

Faithful to Nature is running its Black Friday sale until Sunday, 28 November. The ethical e-tailer is offering deals of up to 75% across a broad range of categories including food, health, body, home and lifestyle, with some deals available exclusively for a particular day.

A portion of Faithful to Nature's Black Friday revenue will be donated to The Earthchild Project, an NPO focused on empowering kids in vulnerable communities with access to environmental education, conscious life skills and adventures out in nature.

Wellness Warehouse

Natural health and well-being retailer, Wellness Warehouse, launched its sale on 1 November, offering 20% off until 24 November, after which it increased the discount to up to 60% off a wide range of products over the Black Friday weekend (from 25 - 29 November).

In addition to giving customers the opportunity to save on their supplements, health foods, natural beauty, eco home, clean fitness and baby care products online and in its almost 50 stores nationwide, Wellness Warehouse is also celebrating Give Back Friday.

The retailer has partnered with The Imibala Trust to help change children’s futures today by making a substantial financial contribution to setting up a functional vertical garden at False Bay Primary School and educating learners on how to set up and maintain similar systems at home and in their communities.