42 / 56
Inside
Outdoor
|
Fall
2015
42
I
s it possible that consumers finally have burned out
on “Black Friday” sales and the marketing ruckus
that has become the official opening of the holiday
shopping season? Did retailers overplay Black Fri-
day “deals” and essentially de-value its importance
in consumers’ minds and their
holiday shopping plans?
Following last year’s Thanksgiv-
ing weekend, The Retail Council of
New York State said Black Friday
sales fell between 6 and 8 percent
from year-earlier levels for mer-
chants across the state. Some of this
decline certainly can be attributed
to Black Friday hawks now starting
their deal hunting on Thanksgiving
Day, but preliminary figures for the
entire 2014 Thanksgiving weekend
from the National Retail Federation
showed declining sales of 11 per-
cent, while 5.2 percent fewer people
shopped or plan to shop over the
four-day weekend, the federation
said. Shoppers also spent about 6.4 percent less than
the year prior. And though many retailers offered the
same aggressive discounts online, the Web also failed to
attract more shoppers or increased spending during last
year’s four-day holiday weekend.
Christmas
Calculations
2015 Holiday Forecast and Gift Guide
By
Martin
Vilaboy
US Retail Sales: Through BTS, Q4, and Holiday
Source: AixPartners; US Census Bureau, Seasonally Adjusted Retail Sales (Excludes Motor Vehicles,
Gas, Food Services & Drinking Places)
0
500,000
Through BTS
Sept - Dec Sales
Holiday Sales
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
3,500,000
6.4%
4.1%
3.2%
-3.9%
0.1%
4.4%
4.6%
3.5%
2.9%
4.4%
2.8%
3.4%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
-2.0%
-4.0%
-6.0%
Sales ($M)
YOY Holiday Sales %
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015