Black Friday is traditionally a mad dash to malls, Big Box retailers and other brick-and-mortar stores the day after Thanksgiving to scoop up deeply discounted merchandise and sale-priced hot gift items … while sale supplies last. Hurry!

What has also become a tradition is running radio anecdotes or newspaper photos showing long lines of Black Friday bargain hunters. There are usually reports of fisticuffs and bad tempers when one of hundreds of shoppers — who camped out at 4:00 a.m. for Doors Open at 6:00 a.m. – lost the very last copy of a hot toy or the last almost-free consumer electronics … the loss-leader advertised to pull in Black Friday shoppers.

But, wait!! On Monday, November 3, Big Box retailer K-Mart and others officially announced that their storewide Black Friday sales would start, not the day after Thanksgiving, but this Friday, November 7. And early Black Fridays would continue for three weekends until the “real” one on November 28.

This is not entirely a surprise to anyone who follows predictions on Holiday Spending Trends of the National Retail Federation; or any wholesalers and resellers who read the past few issues of this newsletter from Top Ten Wholesale. The National Retail Federation forecast “slower” holiday sales back in September; marketing responses that NRF suggested were:

• Earlier Holiday sales, coupons and discount incentives to entice shoppers
• Emphasis on price-sensitive holiday shoppers by displaying more Under X Dollars gift items
• Shifting the gift-giving focus to essential, day-to-day items, like clothing and outerwear, rather than whimsical gifts, given higher demands on consumer budgets for food, utilities and transportation this year

What’s in Black Friday for Wholesalers, Online Auction Entrepreneurs and Resellers?

• More Avoid-the-Crowds incentives to shop online
• Better response rates to loudly flagged incentives on your web site or eCommerce store front, including Free Shipping … Guaranteed Delivery By December 24 … No Hassle Returns … Direct, Faster and Cheaper Shipping from Your Regional Warehouse
• Deeply Discounted Grabbers, especially in the online vs. offline competition for Jewelry and Clothing gift buyers

Since repetition never hurts in the world of advertising and commerce: Present all your best value propositions, sale incentives, unique policies. Then, add fears of Black Friday chaos and gas prices and parking problems. Then, present easy search, find and purchase options from your web site.

Now, what was it they warned about this weekend??