Shoppers might be setting their alarms even earlier for Black Friday this year.
Instead of letting customers wait in the cold until stores open at 5 a.m., some retailers have decided to allow eager shoppers in at midnight.
“Black Friday morning is really competitive. Retailers know consumers have a set amount of income they will spend the day after Thanksgiving, and they want to grab shoppers before they go to other stores,” said Dan Butler, vice president of retail operation and merchandising at the National Retail Federation.
Last year, Chelsea Property Group, a division of mall developer Simon Property Group, tested midnight openings at eight of its outlet locations.
“Midnight Madness” was such a success for the shoppers and the retailers, the company decided to expand the promotion, said Michele Rothstein, senior vice president of marketing at Chelsea. This year, 25 of Chelsea’s centers, including Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, N.Y., and Waterloo Premium Outlets in Waterloo, N.Y., will open at midnight the day after Thanksgiving.
“Last year, I went with my family to the Woodbury Commons and when we pulled into the parking lot a little after 12 a.m., it was already packed,” Rothstein said. “I knew then that we did the right thing.”
Not all retailers and malls will tap this trend, but many have discussed opening earlier as a way to alleviate the mad morning rush and boost sales. “We won’t know until mid–November what retailers are planning to do, but it is definitely a possibility,” Butler said.
Traditionally, Black Friday was the most robust sales day of the year. However, the Saturday before Christmas has now become the biggest day for shopping. Still, Black Friday — along with Saturday and Sunday of that weekend — remains a critical time for retailers to clock strong sales. The NRF estimates that shoppers spent $27.6 billion during the Black Friday weekend last year.