Beyond Black Friday: Hyperlocal Holiday Shopping

When it comes to Black Friday, there are more than a few different shopping behaviors we could dive into. But for the sake of this conversation, we’re focusing on that of seasonal shopping. More specifically, how seasonal shopping behavior has changed — and is currently changing on a hyperlocal level.

November through December marks the consumer seasonality of buying, gifting, and giving. Going into the holiday season, this makes sense. Leading up to Black Friday, and certainly thereafter, we see big red signs outside storefronts big and small. “Save BIG”, “Holiday savings IN-STORE”, “SALE, SALE, SALE”. Although believe it or not, Black Friday started as a way to get out of the red.

According to Business Insider, “While it may have started as a way for retailers to kick off the holiday season encouraging early shopping with great deals, in the early 2000s it evolved into a frenzied, competitive consumer sport. When the recession hit, things began to change from one day of incredible offers to multiple days of diverse ways to buy, give back, and give.”

With the creation of Cyber Monday, we’ve watched Black Friday transform from a “today only” doorbuster event to a weekend “shopping” celebration. The infamous Black Friday “craze” and its often-negative press translates to fewer retailers offering doorbuster deals today, and MORE stores kicking off the holiday sales season as early as October. Stores are saying farewell to the “sale stampedes” and hello to online Black Friday sales, and early Black Friday-type deals throughout the month, such as Amazon’s Early Access Sale and Target’s Deal Days.

But how do we get hyperlocal with our holiday shopping?

American Express began Small Biz Saturday to get local stores to accept their cards (and associated fees.) Black Friday is when many retail businesses make their biggest sales. Those “many retail businesses” still tend to skew toward the larger chains and their even larger ad budgets. The “little guys” — individually owned and operated stores — are still left in the red, unable to compete. By creating a day dedicated to shopping local, and supporting it nationally with a campaign, small businesses receive a greater reach — and greater sales — during this key selling period. As for AmEx…this helped them settle into the good graces of stores that typically balked at having shoppers use their fee-heavy cards. AmEx showed the “little guys” they understood their needs at the hyperlocal level and supported them nationally.

The small business community is growing, with more and more shoppers choosing to shop small AND local. (Are you a small business looking for growth and wondering how everyone else is doing it?) Stickers. Custom stickers are a great way for small businesses to promote their products and services. They connect (or rather stick) consumers to your brand through avenues your product may not be able to. If you’re doing it right, stickers create inexpensive, INSTANT brand loyalty. They can be placed on products, packaging, and any other marketing materials. They’re perfect to hand out during #SmallBusinessSaturday to promote seasonal offers or even as gift tags for your purchase. Stickers can include QR codes and drive traffic to websites, seasonalize something with die-cut shapes, and even holographs. They’ve become a fun social currency that attracts attention, and better yet — interest. You can find great options and great pricing at stickermule.com.

So, there you have it. We’ve watched Black Friday transform from a 4:30 am line that wraps around the building, to an entire weekend — an entire month of holiday savings. In light of COVID, more and more shoppers are consuming online, resulting in skyrocketing Cyber Monday sales. Small business support is growing and presents an opportunity to give back to local communities. And stickers are sticking to more than just walls. They’re becoming a brand’s social currency.

Make it easy. Are your holiday plans set for this year? We can help! Let’s talk. Send us a message: [email protected].