This year’s sales extravaganza was a resounding success. Paul Withers says that with the industry continuing to grow, retailers can look forward to an even bigger day in 2016
Black Friday has previously been regarded as a US gimmick, but the sales explosion during this year’s extravaganza shows the mobile industry has widely embraced it.
While we didn’t witness the chaotic scenes that took place at one Asda store last year, all the major retailers and distributors we spoke to reported large sales spikes.
It was so successful that Carphone Warehouse broke all records by selling a new mobile phone contract every three seconds. Others said it was their best trading day this year – even one of the best in their respective histories.
The signs retailers were serious about Black Friday was evident in the days leading up to the sales scramble, with a number of retailers and operators knocking off the upfront price of selected contract phones and discounts off the prices of SIM-free devices, as well as the bundling of gifts.
With newer players entering the market, such as Honor and Wileyfox, as well as the re-emergence of others such as Motorola, retailers are being offered more choice for discounted products. More choice also means more accessories, resulting in yet more discounts and bundling.
Barring a disaster, retailers and manufacturers are unlikely to disappear over the next 12 months with more likely to enter the fold, so everyone can look forward to an even bigger Black Friday next year.