Taylor Swift Merch and Snow Globes in Stores for Black Friday

What you need to know

• Black Friday is a time when retailers are offering Taylor Swift merchandise and other giveaways to entice customers into their stores.
• Industry experts say that merchants prefer to make purchases in-store because they have higher margins and a lower return rate.
• According to consultants, the consumer spending for this holiday season will rise by 3% compared to last year.

Beware of self-checkouts that have locked cases or are finicky. The retailers really want to see you this holiday season.

Black Friday is no exception, as brands hope to see a spike in foot traffic the day following Thanksgiving. Experts claim that companies prefer to ring up their customers in-store rather than online where shipping costs and widespread promotions eat into their margins. Businesses have a much better chance of encouraging people to purchase more items at physical stores. 

This year, many retailers have in-store promotions. Target (TGT), will sell a book on Taylor Swift. “Eras” The tour will be available in brick-and mortars along with vinyl and cd versions of her latest album before they are offered online the next day. Kohl’s (KSS), will host a sweepstakes that includes a Florida vacation. JCPenney will be giving away snow globes.

They all have the same goal: to get you through the door. 

“A lot of [retailers] frankly prefer it—even with store labor shortages, even with raising minimum wages,” Kelly Pedersen was the U.S. retail leader at PwC. “It’s a more profitable way of doing business.” 

Spending for the Holidays to Increase

Consulting groups predict that consumer spending will increase by about 3% this holiday season compared to the previous year. That’s a relatively modest growth rate, Bain & Co. said, with the inflation seen in recent years still weighing on many Americans. Deloitte estimates that online spending will grow between 7% to 9%.

Black Friday still has the potential to be a big deal. Bain forecasts that Americans would spend a record $75 billion between the day after Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.  

Stores see about three times more traffic on Black Friday than they do during a typical day in the holiday season, according to Joe Shasteen, global head of advanced analytics at RetailNext, which tracks store visits and advises retailers—though many of those visitors are merely browsers, with actual sales peaking on the Saturday before Christmas Eve. 

“From a traffic standpoint, Black Friday is still king,” Shasteen said.

Why retailers like having you in their store

In-store engagement is a priority for companies. Industry consultants have stated that in-store purchases tend to be less likely than digital transactions to be returned. Profit margins are also higher. Pedersen says shipping costs are lower. Online prices also tend to be cheaper because e-commerce has a competitive market and is full of promotions.

Retailers want their customers to leave the store satisfied. Target executives stated on a conference call held Wednesday that the company sometimes makes items unavailable for same day shipping in order to increase the chances of someone walking out of a store with the desired item.

Brick-and-mortar shops have trained employees to upsell customers, suggesting – for example – items that might pair well with something they’ve already chosen. Shasteen explained that shop floors are designed to encourage impulse purchases and splurges. Online, it’s harder to make the most of an aesthetic, because fabrics cannot be felt and lotions cannot be smelled. Products are also shown in tiny thumbnail images.

“If somebody walks into a store, you have a captive audience,” Pedersen said.

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