Symptoms began yesterday, are expected to spike during the weekend and will reach their feverish peak the day after tomorrow. Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts have reached the country, with rebates of 20 to 70 percent off reaching store shelves and more than 160 virtual merchants. While consumer goods are almost no longer being imported, foreign ideas and holiday festivities are clearly being imitated. Like Halloween and Saint Patrick’s Day, what began yesterday represents a powerful marketing campaign aimed at fostering consumerism, one with a long history in the United States and that grows each year. Merchants and entrepreneurs agree on the fact that these days represent an exception to today’s economic juncture and to the overall decline in consumerism. Shoppers, in turn, are mindful of upcoming Christmas presents, hoping to take advantage of today’s sales and to avoid the chaos of end-of-year celebrations.
The Southern Hemisphere’s version of Black Friday got a head start here. In the U.S., it is celebrated the day after Thanksgiving, that is, on Friday the 28th. Whereas here it started yesterday and will continue until tomorrow. Walmart and Changomas, for example, will offer 30 to 70 percent off discounts across all locations and departments. Last year, more than a million shoppers went to stores during those three days. Taking account of last year’s trends, today’s promotions target those products most sought-after by people. Such is the case with toys, with discounts of up to 50 percent off. Marketing departments indicate that promotions such as “Two for the Price of One,” “Three for the Price of One,” and “Four for the Price of Three” will also be offered on preselected items.
From real-purchase habit to virtual impulse to one-click transaction.
In 2005, Cyber Monday appeared in the U.S. as a virtual continuation of Black Friday. Here, Argentina’s Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CACE) intends to make an important statement with an initiative that is already on its third edition and which, this year, has seen a five-fold increase in the number of participating merchants: within the first minute of this Monday, more than 160 companies will start showcasing their products on the web, with discounts of up to 50 percent off on electronics, tourism, clothing, shoes, cosmetics, food and drinks, and other categories.
Frávega, Garbarino, Sony, LAN, Despegar.com, Falabella, Sodimac, Easy, Mercado Libre, Complot, Natalia Antolin, Lee, Prüne, Andreani, Farmacity, EmporioCompras, Fotter, Renová tu Vestidor: these are some of the brands and sites that will participate in this joint effort, with each one deploying distinct marketing and discount strategies.
Natalia Ramil gave in to the temptation of discounts in 2013, and suspects she will do so again this year. “I bought a smart TV, for which I paid almost half the price. The TV arrived at my house five days later,” she recalls. With respect to live and in-person shopping, many people went out hunting for a bargain and returned happy, like Martín Bryk, who arrived with his son at Walmart empty-handed and left with an LED TV.
Installments and Free Shipping
Expectations are high at Mercado Libre. The site recognizes that this week entails the highest sales of the year, and it offers more than three thousand sales with discounts of up to 50 percent off, a 12-month, interest-free payment plan and free shipping. “Cyber Monday is a habit that is becoming more and more ingrained within consumers. It’s the day with the highest number of transactions, and when many people are willing to shop online,” Federico Kofman, business manager of the company, remarks. According to him, the categories in which most sales are registered include tablets, video-game consoles, pools, air-conditioning units, summer clothes and toys. “Such products coincide with the time of year and with the holidays. People take advantage of this time to do their holiday shopping.”
In Renová tu Vestidor — an online community where women can open up their closets, share, buy and sell items they no longer use — more than 200 merchants are expected to participate, with promotions like “Two for the Price of One” and discounts of up to 60 percent off on certain product categories. “Those who buy clothes should keep a measuring tape handy in order to measure themselves and see if what they’re about to buy is going to fit the way they think,” Cecilia Membrado advises; she expects to have ten times more visitors than on any other day.
In Fotter, an e-merchant that sells various brands of shoes, clothes and accessories, free shipping and free exchanges for 90 days are being offered. Users go crazy with their offers, the site claims, and sales go through the roof. “The most positive thing is that it allows us to get new clients. For this reason, a good experience is always important. If everything goes well it’s possible that users will fall in love with online shopping and choose it as their main form of shopping,” remarks Javier Vidaguren, a sales associate. He further comments: “When so much merchandise is offered on one site it is useful to use filters when searching; also, the best time to make a purchase is very early in the morning.”
Women between the ages of 15 and 45 are the perfect target at Dafiti’s online store. “73 percent of women polled said they have shopped at least once online. The day after tomorrow there will be discounts of up to 80 percent off on categories such as clothing, accessories, home and shoes, with free shipping,” the company, which operates on five other countries in the region, informs.
The clothing brand Lee estimates a 400 percent sales increase in comparison to an average month. The company states that, “In general, purchase decisions are determined more by the type of sale than by the specific item being offered. We notice an increase in the number of items per transaction, but it all depends on the type of discount being offered.” With regard to the Christmas shopping season, company studies on Argentina’s online consumer behavior indicate that “he/she tends not to anticipate nor schedule in advance when to do special-occasion shopping, be it Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s day or Children’s Day.” No pre-planning. Argentina’s Cyber Monday is no enemy to last-minute shopping, a holiday tradition that descends upon malls. Impulse is the rule.
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