A number of local retailers have announced that they will hold early sales ahead of Black Friday, which falls on 27 November.
This is primarily in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with retailers opting to offer deals over several weeks instead of risking an influx of shoppers on a single day, or over a weekend.
In addition, a number of retailers have announced plans to offer extended online deals over the course of November and into Cyber Monday (30 November). The most notable early Black Friday deals are outlined below.
Game
Game will run a full month of Black Friday deals in 2020 and is and offering its popular ‘1 cent price surprise’ on all Black Friday purchases.
The retailer said that its weekly deals will run from 2 November to 29 November, with each of the four weeks offering different deals.
The first of these deals can be found here
A partnership with Uber Eats, initiated during lockdown level 5 to deliver essential goods, will be expanded for the month to include small electronics and home office essentials, Game said.
Increased staffing levels both in-store and in the delivery leg of the business will ensure a convenient and positive experience for all customers, it said.
Consumers can expect a delivery timeline of 10 – 14 days on all Black Friday orders, with the delivery fee being capped at R90. Large items added to an order including fridges and chest freezers will carry a R70 surcharge per item, per order.
Makro
Makro will run an extended Black Friday sale for most of November in response to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing requirements.
The retailer said that intensified efforts to minimise the spread of Covid-19, which include the proactive deep cleaning of all stores every day, frequent disinfecting of high touch areas, trolleys and till-points.
The group said that it will also offer its deals online for customers who do not wish to travel to its stores.
The sale will run from 2 to 29 November, with new specials only available for the week in which they are announced.
Makro said that these sales will not be offered again – encouraging shoppers to take advantage of the deals each week, rather than waiting until the end of November.
The first of Makro’s Black Friday deals can be found here
Incredible Connection
Incredible Connection has confirmed that its Black Friday deals will launch on Monday (2 November), with deals continuing throughout the entire month.
The company has become a popular destination for special offers on tech products over Black Friday, and this year will be no different, it said.
A brochure for the first week of deals is already available online here.
Pick n Pay
The retailer will also offer additional deals in-store and online over this two-week period, said John Bradshaw, retail executive: marketing at Pick n Pay.
“Black Friday is a very busy trading period so we’re extending Black Friday to two weeks to keep our customers safe and able to shop for great deals at their leisure”, said Bradshaw.
“We will also be limiting the number of customers in our stores at any one time to keep everyone safe, with highly organised queuing.”
Bradshaw said that Pick n Pay’s stores are well prepared for the Black Friday sale.
“Extensive planning with our suppliers will ensure that all stores are well stocked for the new two-week Black Friday. We really want all our customers to be able to get their favourite deals. We will also be opening as many tills as possible for customers to keep queues to an absolute minimum,” he said,
Pick n Pay said that its early online exclusive deals start on Friday, 13 November.
OneDayOnly
Online store OneDayOnly has announced that it will offer a full week of deals as part of its Black Friday sale.
The daily deal provider will run deals throughout the week leading up to Black Friday, building up to 100% off deals on the Friday (27 November).
In addition, on every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of November, OneDayOnly will be running highly discounted sales campaigns, said creative director Matthew Leighton.
OneDayOnly said that shoppers can expect deals on ‘anything and everything’ during the period.
“There will be a strong focus on tech, apparel and homeware, as well as some big brands across all categories, but this is what makes OneDayOnly so exciting: there will be deals on almost everything you can think of,” said Leighton.
Takealot
Online retailer Takealot will extend its annual Blue Dot Sale to the entire month of November.
In the lead-up to the Blue Dot Sale, which kicks off at one-minute past midnight on Black Friday (27 November), Takealot said it will offer three weeks of Blue Dot Countdown deals.
From 2 to 26 November, Takealot.com will release thousands of new deals every week.
“These Blue Dot Countdown deals won’t be beaten on Black Friday and stock is limited, meaning that shoppers need to act fast as well as return each week to take advantage of incredible new deals and savings,” the group said.
- Week one (2 – 8 November) shoppers can expect big deals on big stuff, including TVs, large appliances, outdoor, pool and patio, beauty, plus so much more;
- Week two (9 – 15 November), there will be massive deals on laptops, toys, homeware, furniture, fashion, sports and footwear;
- Week three (16 – 22 November) will see new deals released on camping and outdoor, home improvement and power tools, as well as household essentials.
Takealot said it will also give shoppers exclusive early access to some of its Black Friday deals from 23 – 26 November. Over 200 new deals will be released daily exclusively on the Takealot App, it said.
