Freight forwarder World Net Logistics told FTW Online that October was probably their best month for the year when imports spiked as retailers geared up for Black Friday.
Sales director Jim Landers said high-value goods such as high-end cell phones and other luxury items were particularly in favour.
In the meantime retail chains like Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Checkers, Makro and Game have all said they are bracing themselves for masses of consumers eager to snap up select items marked down by as much as 50%.
Shoprite group spokesperson Patti Quinton said their stores, which include Checkers, had been preparing for months to avoid the stampedes experienced the last time Black Friday fever gripped the nation.
Meanwhile retailers are sparing no effort in avoiding online downtime, experienced across the board as cyber platforms were bombarded by shoppers causing an e-commerce crash during the previous Black Friday.
Pick n Pay’s manager for its online and mobile sales, Mike Cotterrell, said the group had instituted measures to handle high-volume traffic.
And Massmart’s spokesperson for Game and Makro, Rifilwe Boikanyo, said to mitigate mass hits on their various portals the group had decided to roll out Black Friday specials over a five-day period.
Strategy and behaviour economist from Pricewaterhouse Cooper’s, Lullu Kruger, has warned shoppers not to max out their credit cards as was the case when the last Black Friday caused shopping mayhem.
However, given the Reserve Bank’s decision to keep interest rates in check, every indication is that tomorrow’s Black Friday will break sales records.
