One week after Black Friday

The recession may have bitten really hard into the pockets of many Nigerians; some were still able to set aside a few tens or hundreds of thousands of naira to make some required purchases. Some had in mind exactly what they wanted others had no clue what they were going to purchase, but just thought to themselves that it would be good to buy something just like others, as long as it was cheap, good and affordable they would buy.

There was a lot of buzz about the Black Friday despite the claim of no funds, low budgets and recession, it was like a tug of war for all online stores and shops to outshine each other, to create more awareness and make more sales.

Initially when asked I thought to myself that buying anything at this time won’t be worth it but would be better to save and plan ahead. Some stores created more buzz than they could handle, and then. Getting into the stores you found out that most of the items were not on sale or the limited stock of items was sold out. Then you wondered what the hype was all about if we are not all going to be entitled to the black Friday items.

Over the years we have seen that the introduction of online stores has created a whole new orientation and thinking in the Nigerian consumer sector, which wasn’t so a decade ago, how many people knew what a black Friday was except for the few who had been privileged to travel out of the country. Even though most people like and enjoy the fact that a day is set aside for them to enjoy huge discounts on their favorite products, majority do not know the history of black Friday or the real meaning of what that day beholds.

For me I am wondering and thinking out loud, if it only has to be a black Friday, in as much as we celebrate with our counterparts around the world, what stops us from creating our own “White Friday” “Red Friday” or even “Green Friday” as we so represent. I am wishing that when we create ours and set out to give discounts, let all the products be discounted and not some, also let’s not be told stories because our favorite products have been sold out. If retail shops won’t have enough to go round as proposed, they may as well remain quiet about the black Friday saga.

As we await and expect another black Friday next year stores calculate their numbers and profit and prepare for another year of creating large buzz and expectations with limited number of products. Consumers must brace up for more deals next year and must save up more funds as the purchasing power of our Naira reduces in strength by the day.

I sincerely feel that online stores and shopping malls, must stand by what they advertise and walk the walk through the whole period of the discounted season, make sure that it’s not just all about the numbers and profits, but about having happier satisfied customers all through the Year.

LINDA OCHUGHUA