The day after Thanksgiving is when retailers traditionally are considered to have covered their annual expenses and be operating on profit. Hence the term “Black Friday” in reference to black ink on financial reports. It is also traditionally the highest sales volume day of the year for retail and consumer services merchants.
But if you didn’t realize legendary gains on Black Friday, all is not lost. Our research has found that for each of the four remaining weeks leading up to Christmas is more profitable than Thanksgiving week, and that what day of the week that Christmas falls on will determine the optimal timing for offering special last-minute promotions for maximum profit.
In a brief MEC posted earlier this year, we observed that the top 10 shopping days for two consecutive years are spread over an eight week period, starting at Thanksgiving, and that less that 10% of holiday sales volume is accounted for during the Thanksgiving weekend that includes Black Friday. Using the MEC 2006 Holiday Merchandising Calendar, specific guidelines for special holiday promotions and 15 suggestions for optimizing natural buying trends online, you still have time to turn Black Friday blues into a bright (and “black”) 2006 holiday season.
You will find the brief here: MarketingExperiments Merchandising Calendar for the Fall & Holiday Season 2006.
