November 22, 2017

Shoppers gearing up for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday (Columbia Regional Business Report) »

By Travis Boland

tboland@scbiznews.com

NOV 22, 2017

Black Friday has quickly become the United States’ newest tradition as shoppers take to the streets in the wee hours of the morning looking for bargains.

Many of these shoppers head to the big-box stores for items such as televisions and laptops, but according to a recent data analysis from online business solutions provider Womply, more and more small businesses are getting a chance to join in the Black Friday fun.

Womply analyzed 1,700 local retailers in South Carolina during the 2016 holiday season and found Black Friday was those retailers’ largest revenue day, generating 173% of their normal daily revenue. The analysis suggests that consumers are drawn to the rush of Black Friday.

“Black Friday has become the number one holiday shopping day in the U.S., and it’s also the day that Americans start their holiday shopping experience,” said Amit Patel, CEO of cashback website Ebates.

More than three-quarters (79%) of Americans surveyed by market research company Propeller Insights said they plan to spend the day after Thanksgiving buying gifts. Additionally, almost half (44%) revealed that they plan to camp out to get the best deals on laptops, TVs and housewares. The national survey, conducted for Ebates, queried 1,034 adults and 507 teens.

Brad Plothow, head of communications at Womply, said Black Friday has become such a force of nature, small businesses are seeing a benefit from the spillover.

“People are energized by the narrative,” Plothow said. “It’s a day that’s been optimized by the big-box stores, but small businesses are finding a more subtle way to grab the residual benefits.”

The Saturday following Black Friday is normally reserved for small business shopping, but Womply’s analysis shows that retailers in South Carolina only saw a 30% increase over average daily revenue.

Frank Knapp, president and CEO of the Small Business Chamber, said he was surprised by the numbers.

“Small businesses have found a niche,” Knapp said. “Normally, you get more personalized service and more unique products. People like to go to a business where they are known.”

Many stores in Five Points are taking advantage of Small Business Saturday, including:

Reach Travis Boland at 803-726-7543.

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