The Digital Turkey: How Technology is Changing Black Friday

Black Friday. To some these words conjure images of post Thanksgiving family fun, waiting in line to get the year’s best pricing on hot ticket items. Others grudgingly stand in the freezing cold hoping to score that outrageously priced TV for a steal, and then there are those who forgo shopping of any kind to avoid the lines that resemble an occupy encampment more than anything else. But, regardless of your personal feelings about the most infamous of shopping days, not only is this year is expected to have the largest turnout ever (with over 152 million people busting open their wallets), but many stores are opening even earlier than ever, with places like Walmart and Toys R Us opening on Thursday (at 10 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively).

But simply opening the earliest or being the cheapest does not ensure that your store will be profitable; you have to keep your core market and your brand in mind. While the earlier and cheaper model seems to be a winner for some, for higher-end retailers such as Nordstrom (open 7 a.m.), Bloomingdales (open 7 a.m.), and Neiman Marcus (open 9 a.m.) this method just doesn’t make sense. The customers for these stores are not going to be lured out of their beds at 4 a.m. to save an extra $50, nor does an early open fit with the store’s more upscale image.

In addition to earlier openings, some stores are taking advantage of a growing population of mobile and Internet shoppers, allowing them to get deals online before the stores open, instead of waiting for Cyber Monday, as in years past. Online shopping is a great way to grab those consumers who would like to get great deals but not at the expense of missing part of their holiday — or for those who would rather skip the crowds altogether, especially in light of the trampling of a Walmart employee that occurred last year. With more and more consumers indicating that they plan to do part of their shopping online, this seems to be the year of the Internet shopper. Even the high-end retailers understand that they have to cater to the growing population of mobile shoppers. Saks is planning to release an app that lets users easily browse products rather than having to navigate the Web page.

Armed with smartphones and iPads, customers can not only shop online, but can compare prices online, while in-store to find out if they are getting the best deal — and retailers know it. The deal gap between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is closing with most deals now being offered both online and in-store. Following the trend of Black Friday turning into Black Thursday, the traditional Cyber Monday became Cyber Saturday last year and is on course to becoming Cyber Friday this year. To try and capture those limited consumer dollars, some deals both online and in-store will be available starting Tuesday.

One of this season’s most interesting innovations I came across was the “Shopping Wall” a Sears/KMart installation. The Shopping Wall is essentially a giant wall that the company put up in high-traffic, captive audience areas such as airports with products available for purchase on mobile devices through QR codes. Stores are trying to capitalize on this growing mobile market by releasing apps that make it easier for consumers to make mobile purchases such as Macy’s and JC Penny’s streamlined pages.

With online and mobile shopping becoming real alternatives to long, cold, Black Friday lines and rowdy crowds, why are we expecting the largest Black Friday turn out ever? Is there a digital divide and the majority of people simply don’t have access to the Internet or have such a slow connection it isn’t worth it? As the designated days of the week become less important, are we seeing the end of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday labels as we know them? I will be braving Black Friday for the first time to answer these questions and more. Look for my follow up post next week.

Monika Hathaway can be reached at mhathaway@sterlingpr.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jazzpatron.