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Tag: Black Friday

  • SPAR Black Friday mega deals: Over 5,000 items on sale

    SPAR Black Friday mega deals: Over 5,000 items on sale

    •Hosts five musical concerts to celebrate wine, spirits & feer festival

    Hypermarket and Black Friday pioneer SPAR Nigeria has officially announced the 4th edition of its Black Friday shoppers delight.

    This year’s edition comes with bigger and better offers than last year’s, with over 5, 000 selected items up for sale. It also comes  with discount offers of up to 80 per cent as well as other benefits. Favourite items like electronics, laptops & accessories, wines & spirits, house hold items, perfumes, wrist watches, mobile phones, grocery and more will be available.

    SPAR Nigeria as the first brick & mortar store of its kind to occupy this event in Nigeria, aspires to always bring happiness to the hearts of loyal shoppers at this traditional event that holds every last Friday of November globally.

    Since inception in 2014, the SPAR Nigeria Black Friday bonanza is said to have blazed the trail by not only being the pioneer of Black Friday sales, but also providing consumers with the best discount offers.

    Management of the Hypermarket is urging shoppers to gear up for the most competitive offers that will be available in SPAR stores nationwide. The bonanza promises to be fun for friends and family, even as the yuletide season approaches when several items which are already on sale are the very necessities shoppers need to have a memorable season.

    Commenting on SPAR Nigeria’s Black Friday, its Head of Marketing , Mr John Goldsmith, stated: “When we started, we took the leap of faith as this was something that had never been done before in Nigeria. The first year was basically meant for testing the market; we were looking to see the response of the Nigerian market towards the sales. In our first year, the promos lasted for three days and we received positive responses across the country that exceeded our expectations. This year the number of items that are up for sale have doubled compared to the last couple of years, so we are pretty excited for the outcome.”

    Speaking further on the sales bonanza, he noted that from the beginning of the year, shoppers had begun making enquiries on when the next Black Friday will come up. “Our customers deserve value along with quality products and we at SPAR Nigeria desire to make sure we fulfill every expectation,” he said.

    Also, as Nigeria’s leading chain of hypermarket stores and organisers of the Wine Spirits & Beer Festival, SPAR Nigeria has brought its exciting drinks festival to a new height with five power-packed musical concerts across the country.

    As part of the Wine, Spirits and Beer Festival 2017, SPAR Nigeria treated shoppers across Enugu, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Lagos to musical concerts parading favourite artists and performers.

    The leading hypermarket partnered with major spirits and beer brands namely Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Campari, Guinness and Nigerian Breweries for the concerts.

    The anchor brands ensured the line-up of major artistes; Smirnoff anchored the musical concerts in Enugu and Calabar with major artists such as DJ Spinall, Ill Bliss, Zoro, Slowdogs and MI to a resounding crowd.

    The musical event in Port Harcourt was co-hosted by Campari, which drew large crowds. 2baba, Duncan Mighty, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Kelly Handsome, Harrysong alongside a host of other artistes entertained the crowd to the wee hours of the night.

    Courtesy of the anchor brands, guests were treated to exotic cocktails, drinks and tasty finger foods as they enjoyed the best hits from their favorite artistes.

    The entry to concerts was linked to purchase of a specific brand of spirits and beer from SPAR stores during the six weeks long  festival. The entry passes were also awarded to the winners of the online contest on the various participating brands.

    Alongside SPAR, all major sponsors of the concerts expressed delight at both the turnout and profound patronage by shoppers throughout the festival. Though hosted individually with SPAR, the brands agreed that collaboration will continue to play a major role in modern retail.

    SPAR’s spokesperson, Mr. John Goldsmith, stated thus: “We are very happy with the success of the wine, spirits and beer festival and delighted with the grand success of the musical concerts across five locations. We express our gratitude to the partnering brands for the support in pulling up such a major concert.

    Participants were completely enthralled throughout the event. They had a great time enjoying mouth-watering cocktails, great food, rib-cracking comedy, mixology sessions and of course, stage performances from various artistes in an electric atmosphere.

    Goldsmith said SPAR looks forward to strengthening the partnership with the brands with many of such festivals in the future.

  • Over 5,000 items for sale at SPAR Black Friday mega deals

    Over 5,000 items for sale at SPAR Black Friday mega deals

    Leading Hypermarket and Black Friday pioneers, SPAR Nigeria has officially announced its 4th edition of Black Friday shoppers delight.

    This year comes with bigger and better offers than the year’s prior with over 5000 selected items going up on sale. Its comes also with discount offers of up to 80percent as well as other benefits. Favourite items like electronics, laptops & accessories, wines & spirits, house hold items, perfumes, wrist watches, mobile phones, grocery and more will be available.

    SPAR Nigeria as the first Brick & Mortar store of its kind to occupy this event in Nigeria, it aspires to always bring happiness to the hearts of loyal shoppers at this traditional event that hold every last Friday of November globally.

    Since inception in 2014, the SPAR Nigeria Black Friday bonanza is said to have blazed the trail by not only being the pioneer of Black Friday sales, but also providing consumers with the best discount offers.

    Management of the Hypermarket is urging shoppers to gear up for the most competitive offers that will be available in SPAR stores nationwide. The bonanza promises to be fun for friends and family, even as the yuletide season approaches when several items which are already on sale are the very necessities shoppers need to have a memorable season.

    Commenting on SPAR Nigeria’s Black Friday, Head of Marketing for SPAR Nigeria, Mr John Goldsmith stated, “When we started, we took the leap of faith as this was something that had never been done before in Nigeria. The first year was basically meant for testing the market; we were looking to see the response of the Nigerian market towards the sales. In our first year, the promos lasted for 3 days and we received positive responses across the country that blew our expectations. This year the number of items that are going up on sale have doubled compared to the last couple of years, so we are pretty excited for the outcome.”

    Speaking further on the sales bonanza, he noted that from the beginning of the year, shoppers had begun making enquiries on when the next Black Friday will come up. Our customers deserve value along with quality products and we at SPAR Nigeria desire to make sure we fulfill every expectation”.

     

  • What does Black Friday mean?

    What does Black Friday mean?

    Few years back, retailers in Nigeria were not taking note of Black Friday festival. Most consumers did not even know the meaning of Black Friday festival. The name, then, would have meant a Friday set aside for mourning something or somebody.

    However, since the November of 2013, when the first ever Black Friday sale happened in Nigeria, when e-commerce was still in its infancy in Nigeria, the Black Friday phenomenon has gradually caught on though amongst the enlightened because the average market woman will look at you quizzically if you mention Black Friday sales.

    I should say that Online stores like Konga.com, Jumia, etcetera are the ones that popularised Black Friday sales in Nigeria.

    For those who are still wondering what it means, it is a day set aside for jaw-dropping discounts on most products in some shops. The level of discounts and products involved is usually determined by the retailer.

    The Black Friday festival sales actually started in the United States (US). It is the Friday following Thanks Giving Day in the US. It is the Friday after the fourth Thursday in the month of every November. Since 1932, maybe because of its proximity to Christmas, it has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the US and most major retailers open very early to offer promotional sales.

    Currently, the media is agog with stories of this year’s Black Friday sales as officially it is on the 24th of this month. But it seems that some of our Online stores cannot wait for the official date.  The Online giant store Jumia has announced that its Black Friday sales will start tomorrow the 13th and run till the 31st of next month. It said it will start flash sales of items till the big day which is the last Friday of this month and then continue its sales till December.

    While commenting on Jumia Black Friday 2017, Chief Executive Officer, Juliet Anammah, stated, “We know customers are always on the lookout for the best deals. I can assure you that the Jumia Black Friday Festival 2017 will not just meet those expectations, but also provide shoppers with seamless customer experience and protections.”

    Anammah said that the Jumia website would see a significant increase in inventory across all categories including fashion, electronics, phones, computers, home, baby, health, beauty, travel and food, with up to 80% discount on regular prices on up to 1,0000,000 products from 15,000 vendor merchants.

    Customers who download the Jumia mall app will also receive special vouchers and access to flash sales in addition to instant push notifications when deals go live.

    To bring customers the best deals, the e-commerce giant has partnered with Intel, Pampers, Infinix, Philips, Fero, HP, MTN, AirFrance-KLM and about 1,000 top brands.

    Konga.com, which calls its own, Yakata Black Friday, promises consumers huge discounts across all categories during the Black Friday sales. Most of the Online shops have actually promised good deals on consumer electronics.

    Offline shops are of course not left out in the Black Friday sales. As it was a few years back, there will be huge discounts in most shopping malls across the nation.

    However, as you are getting ready for the big sales festival, be at alert in order not to be duped or cheated by any retailer.

    Be sure to read the restrictions in all the advertisements. When you see an advert with great deals but it also reads “while supplies last” and “limited quantity” you will not know how many items in stock. Because you may get this belief that it is not much, though you may not really need it, you decide to buy it because you are afraid you may never get it in future as the advert stated ‘few supplies’.

    Promotions sometimes may not really be good bargains. Research has shown that some of the offers on Black Friday sales are not really offers but the selling price even before the Black Friday festival. Research has also found out that some retailers increase their price before the big day only to bring it down again on the big day, giving consumers the erroneous impression of sales price.

    One thing one must take into account if you are shopping in store on Black Friday is the crowd. You cannot run away from it. Last year, I went to Amowu- Odofin Festival Mall on a Black Friday. After seeing the irresistible sales prices, I defied the crowd and filled my shopping trolley up but the snaking line of shoppers waiting to make payment could not allow me to pay. After hours of standing on queue I left Shoprite without buying anything.

    So, if you feel the discount will be worth it, and you want to shop in store, leave your house at the crack of dawn to wait at the shop’s entrance. Just have it in mind that you are not the only person aware of the special deals going on in most shops that day.

    If possible, compare prices before deciding on the store to patronise. As most shops advertise their sales prices even before Black Friday, take their various leaf lets and compare prices.

    If you are shopping Online, set your alarm on the day in question, and wake up before most other people and zero in on the product you want, especially if it’s one of those ones with “short supplies” attached to it.

    With Online shopping, comparing prices is far easier. Just switch from one website to another. Please do not splurge on items you do not need just because the sales price is low.

  • What to expect today: Black Friday at Lagos Trade Fair

    Today has been declared as Black Friday by Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the organisers of the Lagos International Trade Fair. It said the Black Friday will witness more discounts on products at the fair.

    The Lagos International Trade Fair, which started on November 3, has attracted hundreds of brands. The brands range from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to industrial produce. Before today, visitors have been buying products at promo prices.

    A young lady, who introduced herself as  Stephanie said: “You don’t know how happy I am to have this.” Stephanie was a able to get a blender for N4, 000 and she was given an additional kitchen item free of charge.

    According to Sola Oyetayo, chairman, Trade Promotions Board of LCCI, people should expect to get products at ridiculously cheap prices today. The furniture section at the fair has the likes of Lifemate, Bedmate and Master Furniture with big show rooms stocked with irresistible designs and architectures. This writer found some furniture items offered at 60 per cent discounts. Kwese TV and Startimes are also at the trade fair and people, who visited their booths enjoyed special offers. Also at the fair, Foton buses are being sold at cheaper prices. Instant gifts are being shared inside Tecno Mobile’s booth.

    The trade fair is full of wonderful experiences. Entertainment in form of music and dancing is going on at every section. Religious brands are also being showcased. Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship International (FGBMFI) sets up a meet-and-talk area, where professionals, who are interested in knowing more about the group are welcomed. Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM) is there displaying spiritual books and also at the fair with a small team of choirs to provide spirit-filled musicals. Most interesting is the parade of food canteens at the trade fair. They offer sumptuous home-made-kind-of meals, which are also at ridiculously cheap prices. This writer also discovered a cozy air-conditioned room fitted with lighting gadgets, where the creative imaging company, Studio 24, offers free pictures when you pay for the make-up. Black Friday will be fun here.

  • How not to overpay on Black Friday 

    How not to overpay on Black Friday 

    Nigerian shoppers are embracing ‘Black Friday’ as time to strike good bargain on purchases. But just how good are these deals, especially given the secrecy that surrounds transactions on the day? TONIA ‘DIYAN warns on its intricacies.

    We all know the drill by now. Retailers’ sales promotions begin weeks before the deal day, with a dash of modest deals that eventually build up to the shopping bonanza that is Black Friday, an online shopping extravaganza.

    To wet shoppers’ appetites further, it has become increasingly fashionable for online retailers to build up anticipation for Black Friday with so-called flash deals. These last only a few hours, putting pressure on consumers to make purchases with little or no research.

    Yet,  while shoppers do their thing, the chances of snatching a great deal for a quality item are slim, largely because Black Friday is mainly designed for retailers to clear out unwanted goods, and because best-selling products rarely drop much in price.

    Sometimes, less than one percent of the tens of thousands of Black Friday deals online are good deals, i.e, discounts on high-quality, well reviewed and durable products. Getting a good deal is still possible. It takes a bit of forethought and web searching.

    Experts have said just a slight check in advance would help out most shoppers. They advise it is wise to come up with a list of interest and to know their recent prices. For them, a bit of research could help prevent shoppers from needlessly burning lots of money.

     

    Deals, good and bad

    Experts have also advised that before shoppers get into looking for good deals, it’s important to understand a bad or mediocre deal knowing that retailers enjoy exaggerating their discounts for products in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, as well as on the actual day.

    An example of a bad deal is listing a set of 42 rubbermaid storage containers for N4, 500 as one of the deals of the day. But the set was actually priced at N1, 500 two weeks ago and N1, 200 few days ago. So N4, 500 is nothing to be excited about for shoppers who are not regulars at these online shops.

    A good deal is listed for N3, 000 a  battery pack for charging mobile devices. That is worthwhile, because the price of the item had remained flat at N3, 000 for over a year, according to its price history.

    It is important to make a list of products to buy, check their price histories and buy items if they drop to desired amount.

    Timing is important

    People who do all of their holiday shopping on Black Friday are not getting the best deals; this is according to retail experts. They argue that the sweet spot for the best bargains is December 10 to18, but, warned that shopping from December 19 onward is not good because retailers know shoppers are desperate, and they are less likely to cut prices.

    Have a live chat online

    Sometimes getting a price break can be as simple as asking. It is important to activate the live chat feature that many online retailers have and politely ask for a voucher, for free shipping or a percentage off your purchase.

    These live chat operators are trained to see that the shopper has stuff in his cart and are prepared to make a purchase.

  • Shopping at Festival Mall on Black Friday

    Like it or not, the Black Friday phenomenon has gradually come to stay in Nigeria. While it has a place in the US culture calendar where it originated from, as it falls on the day after their annual Thanksgiving holiday, it has no place in the Nigerian calendar.

    The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black.” Back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since the start of Thanksgiving Day Parade in U.S in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season.

    On Black Fridays, most shops extend their open and closing hours offering jaw dropping discounts and gigantic savings though some consumer experts have warned that those discounts is not always what they seem as those advertised 50% may not strictly be accurate.

    So anyway, on November 25th, many shops, Online and Brick and Mortar shops in Nigeria joined most shops in the world to mark Black Friday.

    Always on the lookout for great deals, I set off for Festival Mall situated at the premises of the former Duban Hotel, located within Diamond Estate,AmuwoOdofin LGA. I choose the shopping mall because of other facilities in the hub which include Golden Tulip Hotel, luxury residences on sale, etcetera.

    Impressive with the ample parking space that can accommodate hundreds of cars and with the vigilante security, I alighted from my car without the fear of anyone delaying me by parking behind my car.

    Anticipating great deals from retailers as is the custom with Black Friday, I increased my pace as I

    hurried into the mall.The mall, which is uniquely equipped, plays host to some of the leading brands in entertainment, leisure and retail which includes; Shoprite, Mr. Biggs, Montaigne Place, Casa Bella, Silverbird Cinemas, Time keepers, Maybrands, Etisalat, Sports World, In2Brands, Laraboni, Odeva, Sumptuous, Office Everything, One Center, Rhapsody’s, Slot, Ruff N Tumble, Essenza, Tesla Mobile, Mondo, GNC, Debonair, Oceans Basket, Audacious, PC Conner, Casa Bella, Health Plus, Ennzo, Diva House of Accessories, Gene Bendi, Opticka Vision, Accessories 2 Die 4 etc.

    My first stop was at perfume shop, Montaigne Place, to check my favourite brand, Estee Lauder, but alas, Black Friday or not, there was no deal except on some other not too popular brands. Slightly disappointed, I casually went from shop to shop, taking note of how people were rushing into the mall in expectation of massive deal offers. Who says Nigerians do not have money?

    The varied tenant mix at the mall of course ensured there was something for everyone at the mall. As most consumers were rushing into Shoprite, I decided not to be left out. However, it was almost chaotic in there. With the shop trumpeting low price for the festive season and the same time up to 50% off for the Black Friday, one can then imagine the queues at the pay point.

    Consumers saved as much as 39% on 500g Kelloggs cornflakes and an amazing 40% on wines such as 750ml Pink Lady but some customers could not afford the very long wait at the queues so they had to drop their shopping.

  • Jumia offers 70% discount for Black Friday

    Jumia offers 70% discount for Black Friday

    Online retail giant, Jumia Nigeria has announced that it will offer a-70 per cent discount on regular prices for this year’s Black Friday sales.

    This year’s Black Friday will take place for 12 days between November 14and25 on all Jumia websites–Jumia Mall, Jumia Food, Jumia Car, Jumia Market, Jumia Travel, Jumia House and Jumia Deals.

    Top brands such as AXA Mansard, MTN, Binatone, Innjoo, Infinix, Poly Star, HP, Intel, Etihad airways have partnered with Jumia to bring to Nigerians the largest shopping event of the year.

    According to a statement endorsed by the Public Relations, Jumia Nigeria, Olaolu Oloyede Black Friday shoppers should expect 12 days of promotional deals; increased sales inventory in all categories including: fashion, electronics, phones, computers, home, baby, health and beauty – up to 70 per cent discount of regular prices; over 100,000 deals from 2,500 vendors; and highlight offerings from brands such asPolyStar, HP, Binatone, Nikon, Pampers and Apple.

    In addition to mouthwatering deals, this year’s Black Friday features an online giveaway for every customer who spends N10,000 and above. Lucky customer winners will win an iPhone 7, a PS4 console, two economy class Etihad tickets and two business class tickets.

    Nigerian customers are reminded to visit all Jumia stores during Black Friday including Jumia Food and Jumia Market, the largest and safest marketplace online where buyers can safely interact with sellers for juicy Black Friday deals.

    During last year’s Jumia Black Friday that took place on November 27 2015, more than 2.3 million Nigerians visited Jumia. Following the impressive volume of orders during last year, this year’s sales event has been expanded to reach even more customers.

    Head of Marketing Jumia Nigeria, Simone Bartlett, said: “This year’s Jumia Black Friday is designed to offer our customers more days, more deals and more convenience and to deliver on better customer service to our shoppers.”

    The deals are expected to go fast, on a first come, first serve basis, so customers are encouraged to download the Jumia app and subscribe to the Jumia newsletter for real time notifications on the featured sales, deals and daily offerings.

  • Black Friday: what Nigerians have to say?

    The media blitz that heralded the Black Friday, a day that gained popularity from an American tradition in which people are urged to give to the less-privileged for the sake of humanity, was monumental in Nigeria. TONIA ‘DIYAN reports

    In Nigeria, most of the online retail shops offered mouth watering offers to attract buyers to their platform.

    Among the platforms that offered so much promise was Jumia, arguably Nigeria’s largest online retail outlet, which offered up to 90 percent slash on all its products as a gift to buyers who wanted to enjoy the Black Friday.

    With the promise of up to 90 percent slash in prices, Nigerians had, before the date, compiled a list of products to buy, even as the online shop sustained the media blitz, declaring that the market would open midnight of Thursday, to end in the early hours of Saturday.

    But, many who thought they could make some purchases were disappointed as none of the shops offered up to 90 percent slash on any product on offer on their platforms.

    From Jumia, to Konga, to Kaymu and Yudala, all online platforms, checks in the early hours of Friday up to 3am showed that most shops had between 50 and 70 percent slash on their products, while some items retained their prices.

    One of such disappointed buyers was Mr Friday Austin (not real name), who had listed several items, especially electronics, he wanted to buy in the price slash bonanza. “My brother, I couldn’t even buy one single product. I had been dreaming of buying a television set, but when I saw the price, I merely went back to sleep, it was a rip-off,” he said.

    Another, Yinka Aderibigbe said he was disappointed that none of the online shops slashed their products’ prices by 90 percent. It was as if they were telling us, ‘take what we have or nothing.’

    He said he bought a few things not because their prices were slashed, but because he needed them.

    He called on regulatory authorities to ensure that online traders do not take Nigerians for a ride any more as they did not keep the promise they made that Black Friday.

    “When I saw that none of the four online shops I visited in the early hours of Friday abided with the 90 percent slash they had offered, I finally decided to patronise one of them, just because I had decided to buy somethings, irrespective of the poor price slash they had offered. I hope something would be done and the Federal Government would put a stop to this that goes on unabated by operators. It is time we sanitised this country, and people realised that they can no longer promise without fulfilling the obligations that go with that promise.”

    Tajudeen Adebanjo also narrated his ordeal while trying to make cheap purchases on Black Friday. His words: “My experience on Black Friday was not palatable. I found that the 90 percent discount the stores promised was not real. They all did not give out more than 40, 50 or 30 percent on items displayed. When I thought I was lucky to find an item with 50 percent, shortly after I clicked on it, I was told it was  out of stock. I think the whole Black Friday idea was not real; it is a way of ripping off Nigerians. Also, I think it is just a way of luring people to their website to convince them to buy.”

    He added that ‘’what is being practised here is not Black Friday as it is done in the western world. In the UK, for instance, on Black Fridays, people are sure to buy items at very cheap rates, at the percentage advertised. In Nigeria, the reverse is the case. So, why deceive poor Nigerians who are managing to make ends meet because of our very poor economy.”

    Another shopper Fuad Adelaja said: ”When I heard of Black Friday, I was delighted that I wouldn’t miss it like I did last year. I had saved the date on my phone diary to enable me stay in touch. But I refused to fall victim to tricks; I therefore, headed to The Blue Roof at Ikeja, where I bought men’s briefs and shirts I always wanted but couldn’t afford because they were expensive. I saw the day as an avenue to have my wishes come through and bought six at a cheap rate,  got a designer shirt for N2,500 instead of N10,000 or N15,000 .”

    Solomon Odeniyi had anticipated that he would buy all he needed for Christmas on Black Friday; but he was disappointed when he couldn’t buy an item because of the exorbitant rates placed on them. “I anticipated that items worth N20,000 would be reduced to N5,000, because that was what all online stores made us believe. I only noticed 40 to 60 percent discount on few ladies wears, mainly underwears.  Even discount on mobile phones were not more than 10, 15 and 20 per cent.

    Chinonso Onu complained of waking up very early to purchase but was disappointed with the poor turnout. ”I woke up very early so I would be able to purchase some things at the so-called discounted prices they were claiming to give, but found that the 90 per cent discount they had been making noise about wasn’t true after all.”

    Susan Eric also spoke of how she had planned for the Black Friday, thinking it would be fun as she would stock her house this Christmas with some new electronic gadgets. But she couldn’t buy anything.

    ”I told my husband that I wanted to make the Black Friday an opportunity to buy some things and he laughed at me. I wondered why he laughed, so I asked. He said they were deceiving me and I wanted to be a victim, I just pretended not to listen.

    ‘’Lo, the day came and, at first, it was the network and I was consoling myself on that. I finally logged on to the website and the 90 percent turned to 10 per cent or even less. I got very angry that I could not even tell my husband about it when, I finally got home. I do not believe that there is anything like Black Friday at all. Experience, they say, is the best teacher. I won’t even try it next year.”

    True! Many a Nigerian shopper had thought to grab great deals for the festive season. They looked forward to the annual shopping bonanza that has been a huge hit in America for years, in which huge discounts are promised and fulfilled. But their hopes were dashed. There was nothing of the sort. Like the online retailers will always say ‘Crazy Discounts’ indeed.

    He had moved more towards digital and online shopping on Black Friday. He anticipated that online shopping will be bigger than ever as the biggest discounts ever will be ongoing to benefit him.

    For retailers, particularly those who are online, the concept of Black Friday has opened up a whole new avenue for marketing in Nigeria. In the last two years, they say they have recorded tremendous traffic on Black Friday.They said  more Nigerians are getting aware of the significant shopping event, and the expectations of shoppers are heightened with many waiting till Black Friday to make strategic purchases.

    During Black Friday, businesses are to  reward shoppers who are loyalty to their brands. Feedback is positive and the level of engagement continues to be on the increase. The last two years of Black Friday  in this part of the world has facilitated the adoption of e-commerce processes and encouraged the expansion of trade systems for indigenous businesses.

    According to  an online merchant who has imported all the western method of shopping into the country in the last three years, “Black Friday boosts the country’s economy by connecting more customers to great businesses. They say it helps consumers get more value for their money and actually save towards enjoying a product they may not have tried otherwise.”

    These merchants said they witnessed slight increase at the beginning of the Black Friday week, adding that it is because people are searching for great prices on the internet. They said that with the success of e-commerce and tech businesses in the country, Nigerians are more comfortable shopping online and more open to enjoying the benefits of the Black Friday trend .

  • Black Friday: best deals are on today

    Black Friday, the biggest discount bonanza for shoppers, is here again. The bonanza, introduced by online shop Jumia two years ago, offers great deals to shoppers with Jumia selling double awoof vouchers which offer customers double items for their money. It  completely sold out all items way ahead of the day, an evidence that Black Friday cannot be avoided.

    Also last year, all online shopping platforms operated the Black Friday campaign and recorded positive customer reactions. This year, they have again jumped at the chance to participate again and are offering more discounts this year.

    This year’s Black Friday aims to offer more value to customers who have been amazing with extensive selection of products from top brands at best prices. On Carmudi Nigeria website, car buyers will be able to enjoy discount on a large range of cars. Managing Director, Carmudi Nigeria, Amy Muoneke, said shoppers should expect very affordable cars and discounts on items they buy. “At Carmudi Nigeria, we will be rewarding car dealers with discount advertising and car buyers with affordable cars. The aim of Black Friday is to make affordable cars available to car buyers. From today, individual car sellers who want to see their cars through the Carmudi website will pay a discounted fee of 2,000 only for as long as that particular car is available for sale”

    Jovago Nigeria, an online hotel booking platform promises unbelievable discounts of up to 50 per cent on selected hotel rooms on offer. Its Head of Public Relations, Ohaedoghasi Rita told The Nation Shopping that every customer who books with them will get the best price on every room.

    On the Jumia website, there are vouchers, special deals to say thank you to esteemed customers for their loyalty. Supermart.ng offers up to 30percent discount on hundreds of grocery items when customers buy items worth N10,000.

    The Communications Officer of Supermart, Tayo Alofun said, “hundreds of grocery and everyday essential items have been discounted to rock bottom prices for our customers. Customers can select these and more online and receive delivery to their homes and offices across Lagos”.

    To access the deal, customers will simply have to log on to supermart.ng, select various desired items from the widest range of groceries in Nigeria and enter the voucher code SUPERDEAL to receive their instant N3,000 discount.

    Easy taxi will be giving out better ride in terms of ease, reliability, comfort and safety. Shoppers can get N2000 off Taxi Ride today by downloading the Easy Taxi app on android or iPhone, and use the code ETBlackFriday.  Senior Public Relation & Communications Associate, Tracy E. Oyekanmi said “Over the last six months, we’ve worked hard to gather feedback and listen to our customer’s concerns and needs, and we’ve revamped the entire Easy Taxi experience. And our aim is to allow more people in Lagos experience a ride on Easy Taxi at a lower risk to attract prospective customers.”

    On Kaymu.com, shoppers who patronise the Kaymu’s Black Friday Store access to items at prices they never imagined possible. In addition Kaymu has thrown in free delivery on purchases within Lagos to ensure people enjoy the best possible shopping experience this Black Friday.

    Tomiwa Oladele, Head PR & Offline Marketing said: “As a brand which is passionate about fulfilling our customers desires, Black Friday gives us the opportunity to connect our community of buyers and sellers  in an exciting shopping experience. Through this campaign we hope to add value to our customers by giving them the opportunity to fulfill their wish list within their budget and position Kaymu as a brand where people can get affordable items all year round.”

    She added: “We are fulfilled at the knowledge that through the Black Friday campaign we will be able to provide value to our new and existing customers by giving them the opportunity to shop massive discounts as well as provide revenue for our community of sellers who are expected to triple their sales during this period.”

    Hellofood. com, will double its volume of orders and  empower its consumers with great savings. The online food store will offer its consumers via its partner’s restaurants an entire day of tremendously low price food deals with up to 50per cent discount as well as free delivery on all food orders from any restaurant.

    Its Public Relations Executive, Kike Ojo said: “Consumers’ will be able to order from over 250 restaurants on the hellofood platform, there will be new cuisines at  reduced price and fast food delivery at no extra cost.

    At Yudala, there will be location-specific sales which will kick off from 8:00 am today at Ikeja, Festac and Surulere, 9:00 am at Lekki and 10:00 am at Apapa while the online sales starts by 12 midnight. The mega-fest will continue with the Yudala Cyber Monday on November 30 where shoppers can shop non-stop at eye-popping prices.

    Autogenious is giving out whopping discounts on insurance and AA rescue products.

    They are giving out 10 percent of car insurance premium for a year.

  • Black Friday: Tips for safe online shopping

    Black Friday: Tips for safe online shopping


    Black Friday beckons and the promises are glamorous. While some stores are brandishing up to 50 per cent discount on products, some others flaunt a glamorous 90 per cent discount. Ecommerce sites have refused to be left out of the frenzy and are all making plans to outdo one another.

    Indeed, online shopping is super cool because it the most convenient of all forms of shopping, especially if you work on a tight schedule. However, because we live in the age of hackers and spammers, it is important to be security conscious as you leap from site to site on Black Friday. While some people are security conscious, they still do not know what to look out for while shopping.

    If you love the convenience of shopping online but are worried about theft and shopping wrongly, click the start button below and pay attention to the simple tips for a safe and stress-free experience as well as how to keep your identity and information secure.

    Tips for safe online shopping

    Look out for product reviews

    Many Nigerian e-commerce sites have provisions for product rating and review, but some Nigerians are not very familiar with the idea of product reviews. If you have to purchase any product online, look at the product’s review page. It is usually down the product page, close to the product description. When you purchase a product and have tried and tested it, leave a review under the product. It will give credibility to the seller and help another buyer make a good purchase decision.

    Make sure the product you are purchasing is for your region or location

    This is very important to note in case you have to return the purchased item for any defect reasons.  
    When purchasing items on international online shops such as Amazon or e-Bay, look out for the clause “this item ships (or does not ship) to your location”. 
     
    Here’s why.
    If you buy an electronic device because it’s cheaper to buy abroad and you happen to be abroad at the time or you find a way to get it sent down to you, it may not be attended to locally in case of any issues with it. Even under warranty, local distributors or dealers may not attend to the product if it is not for your country or region. 

    Consider shipping cost

    More often than not, you can afford the shipping cost on product delivery, but would you want to pay extra to return a product that has a defect? Refer to number 2 again, you may be able to afford a shipping on returns fee if the location is reachable. 

    Shop at trusted websites only

    Whether you are buying a shoe, software, laptop or car online, you need to be sure that the website you’re shopping from is secure before you input your information. Look out for the padlock symbol on the address bar. If it is there, it means your connection is secure and identity thieves cannot snoop around your sensitive information.

    Pay on delivery

    Many e-commerce platforms in Nigeria offer the option to pay on delivery for a product. Before you pay, you are allowed to check through the product to be sure it is exactly what you ordered for (as long as you do not tear off the label and important parts of the packaging). So, if you are still bothered about identity/information theft or your money entering ‘voicemail’, pay on delivery.

    One password must not fit all

    We all love the convenience of using one password for all our online accounts because it means we do not have to break a sweat when we need to recall it. It is however ill- advised. Also, avoid creating passwords that are easy to guess. Consider using a combination of numbers, letters and symbols. You may wish to play the video above for a lesson on how to create passwords for different websites that are easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to figure out. 

    Do not save your browsing history

    When using a shared computer, it is important that you do not leave your browsing history on the computer. Deleting your browsing history may not readily come to mind after you browse on a shared computer, therefore consider browsing in private mode.
    Private browsing mode is called ‘incognito’ or ‘private’ mode, depending on the browser. It does not save your browsing history, site preference, login information and blocks cookies, which in turn prevents fraudsters from tracking your online behaviour. 

    Finally, avoid using free Wi-Fi

    We know that data is still expensive in Nigeria, but like our elders say, “awoof dey run belle”, and the English people say “all that glitters is not gold”. Open wireless networks will put you at risk of information theft.

    Better be safe than sorry

    When in doubt of the security of the website you are buying from, look for a ‘Pay on delivery’ option. If it does not exist and you are uncomfortable with paying online, ignore e-commerce and take a trip to the market or mall.