Rant & Rave: Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales
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Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales
As more and more brands participate, it can get overwhelming and feel like just too much… that I almost end up opting out because I don’t know where my money should go! I also get annoyed when brands are more opaque about their offerings so you don’t feel confident buying on Black Friday because Cyber Monday offers might be better… I’d just rather consistent messaging for the weekend period or else offering very different deals on the respective dates.
— Christine
Ofra just sent an email with all the sales on each day spelled out. It was amazing, and I agree…they should all do it!
I feel exactly the same! I get so overwhelmed that I end up not wanting to buy anything. The entire thing has literally become stressful to me because I feel like I’ll miss out if I’m not fast enough or I’ll end up making a poor choice if I get something too soon because there will be a better offer on Cyber Monday. Also, there are SO many holiday releases already and combined with Black Friday/Cyber Monday (not to mention all the other sales year round) it is just way too much. So if I get anything at all it is only what I actually need or want THE MOST. Not to mention the best deals go so fast that I literally cannot get to it even if I wanted to.
Rave: there really are some great deals, if one can sift through all the piles of offers coming at them!
Rant: OVERWHELMING. It all sends me into sensory overload to the point where making a decision gets to be too much. At which point, I shut down the window. Sometimes right at the POS instead of hitting “place order”. Nuts, right? Did this last night with CR QoH palette. But WHY? Heck, I drive myself crazy enough without these brands and retailers pushing me off the proverbial ledge! (oh, and yeah, guaranteed I’ll place the order sometime today ?)
I’ve done that plenty of times (close the window down instead of hitting place order) because it just gets too much, I get so frustrated at the craziness, the FOMO on 10% more somewhere else… I usually get my MS/prestige brands during their summer inventory clear sales and save my BF for indies now. It’s MUCH less stressful that way for me personally.
For someone that does emotionally shop – in general this is hard.
Even if we want to wishlist, and get something we truly *want* – the fear of missing out is truly, truly REAL.
I want to be a smart shopper, dang it!
Depending on what province of Canada you’re in, you can be paying up to 15% sales tax, so it takes a big discount to seem like anything substantial.
Cosmetic and skincare companies have traditionally earned very high margins on their products since they also had to spend a lot on marketing and advertising. With the emphasis shifting to lower-cost forms of marketing (social media versus print and television ads), those companies are making more than ever, especially since prices keep going up. That’s not to say things like print and television are gone- they clearly aren’t- but they aren’t as valuable as they once were, so brands can spend less.
That means that many brands should be able to afford to give greater discounts than they have before. So seeing the standard sale remain at 20% off doesn’t impress me. Smaller-size value sets are more interesting because I so rarely run through full-sized cosmetic products but at the same time, they often come in sets where I might really want one item out of three offered. So getting to try three for the price of one isn’t saving me anything.
I still buy items on sale or priced well, cheaper is cheaper after all, but I don’t get that excited for 90% of the deals out there.
Excellent points made, Ms Kate.
100% agree with what you’ve said Kate. I live in Quebec and we have a 15% sales tax (Goods and Services Tax (GST) or federal tax – 5% + Quebec Sales Tax (QST) – 9.975%), so for me a 20% discount translates into a 5% one (maybe a bit more if I buy using Ebates).
Totally agree!
Personally, I hate everything about them. The frenzy that gets people worked up into a panic to buy stuff they probably can’t afford and likely don’t need…. I remember when this all started – after that stock market crash how many years ago? And I hate that we’ve been seeing Black Friday sales here in Canada for many years; I think of it as a very American “thing” and it’s one of the things we really don’t need crossing the border. We have enough of an issue trying to hang on to our identity as a pretty small country (population wise) parked next door the biggest “influencer” there is.
Agree, Here in Greece, customers are resisting this new trend.
As a European I feel exactly the same Mariella. Since a couple of years Black Friday is becoming more and more a thing here. The discounts are usually not even that great, like 15 percent off. It’s the whole frenzy around it that makes people think that they have to buy stuff, that they are missing out, that they are foolish if their neighbour does get a new car or a new phone on an amazing deal. (Of course if you were going to buy something anyway it is nice to get the extra discount, but you see those discounts, and better ones, all year round.)
Rant: We don’t really have them here in Aus. sad to say. And yes, they can be overwhelming and the deals can lead to some impulse purchasing.
Rave: The deals are only good if they are products you want to try or you were going to buy anyway.
I live in Canada (Quebec province) and as mentioned by Kate and in my above comment, we have a combined 15% sales tax here (federal + provincial). So in order for a BF/CM to make sense for me personally, it needs to be at least 30% off + free shipping starting from a reasonable amount. Otherwise, there are other sales along the year or private discounts offered by the companies, which prove to be more beneficial to my wallet in the long run.
I agree with your points and I wish all websites would be clear about if their CM deals will be better than their BF ones.
For the last couple years, I’ve used BF and CM mostly for getting basic stuff I need anyway; I make a list about a month beforehand and then have certain things I’ve made a habit of buying then. For example, I buy my family’s annual supply of supplements using BF and CM deals. A local market also has gift card discounts that my husband buys immediately when they become available.
I also started saving emails around this time of the more important retailers I use so I have them the following few years for reference purposes so I know what to expect. In doing this, I’ve discovered that there are a few at least that give better deals a week or two before BF.
I do allow myself to splurge on one or two things maybe. Yesterday I ordered the CR QoH palette, for example. Last year I got some Zoeva stuff. But usually it’s just a thing or two like that that I go for. I don’t really browse websites to see what they have, as that would definitely be overwhelming.
My heart starts racing and I get over excited about the great discounts. And this leads me to sometimes buy things I don’t need. This year I’ve already purchased a good amount of Christmas presents for great prices. I have a real fear of missing the dead line or end date on a great deal for stuff I really want but don’t want to pay full price for. Brought my mom 3 cashmere sweater on Hautelook and Bloomingdales all half price. Found Guerlain Meteorites for $39 All in all I love having shopping for good bargains!
Like others have mentioned, I’ve made carts and then shut the page before submitting. I’m going on holiday and, like we all do, I had so many choices in every category that I couldn’t decide how to pack my makeup bag. That was my confirmation to skip Black Friday. I’m trying to break this habit of mindless makeup buying just because I’m tempted by pretty colors and packaging.