The Black Friday Bug is Finally In Zim!!!

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Black Friday for many years has been something we knew from foreign movies, it felt as a foreign concept that cannot exist in Zimbabwe. Over the years however the concept started creeping in and this year it seems the craze has finally materialized. Previously Black Friday would only happen in the upmarket shopping centers such as Sam Levy, Arundel Shopping Center..etc and many people did not even care to participate. Will not be diving into how Black Friday started, you can read more here: How Black Friday Started.
 
Looking at this journey to this year's Black Friday, many factors has pushed for the Black Friday culture to be finally accepted nationwide. There is the continued American influence from movies and series that is constantly reshaping our culture and has made many open to the idea of Black Friday, plus few can resist buying stuff on the cheap. There is also the issue of South African influence on Zimbabwean retailers, as a nation we rely on South African products in every category so that has in a way pushed many retailers to participate in order to persuade some clients to not go to SA to do their shopping but rather do their shopping locally. Then there are economic issues such as prices having fallen quite significantly in USD$ terms so those who have some USD$ saved up will be able to buy more goods. There are many more factors but have chosen these three as they highlight how three important players in this concept have been impacted; the people, the retailers and the spending power.

Have come across a number of big companies advertising their Black Friday sale. Simbisa Brands is the most notable company, its brands (TV Sales, Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn, Bakers Inn, Nandos, Steers...) have all advertised their participation, that move has and will surely push many other retailers to participate, Simbisa has that effect in the industry. Another big company is Edgars, they have been participating in the Black Friday culture for years now, there will definitely be many waiting outside their branches tomorrow morning and I expect stocks to be depleted as they did last year.

Tiger Wheels have also released a number of products that will have discounts on Black Friday. Online stores are also in on the concept, sites like Ownai, 10Ngah.com & ZiMall are all participating. Even Banks have joined, with CABS saying there will be no transaction charges from 6am-6pm. There are many other big and small companies that are participating in nearly all industries (hardware, air tickets, fashion, electronics...), can not exhaust all the participating companies and stores so I urge you to visit the nearest shopping center and get updates on which shops are participating

The hype this year is quite huge and will probably be the biggest Black Friday in Zimbabwe. This signals a change or evolution in the shopping patterns of Zimbabweans which highlights that there is growth to be expected in the retail sector in the coming years. As we move through the years we are definitely bound to see more innovative ways in which companies will employ to increase consumer spending and that will help the nation as a whole.

Enjoy your shopping experience and always shop wisely.


Yours Truly

A Zimbo Who Loves Innovation

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