– Customers come to try our products, to see if they are suitable. Then they’d like to come back during Black Week to buy, says Alexander Davkins Bordsen. He is the Sales Director of Anton Sport in Storo in Oslo.
Trade has been slower this fall. More people than before are interested in the cost of goods. He says he’s noticed that people are less tolerant of it.
During the Corona pandemic, sales of hiking equipment and clothing increased. Everyone should go out and do something sporty. It will be interesting to see how it turns out now, when the economy is the same. We hope for a great trade, says Anton Sport’s Bårdsen.
It is the management of the chain that decides what is sold and the amount of discounts.
– But undoubtedly there will be many good deals and prices throughout the year. Discounts must apply to all product groups. He thinks there will be plenty to choose from for those craving a slightly more affordable Christmas.
Daniel Bhatti, Store Manager at Power på Storo, says many people want to buy a big TV, but are more price conscious than before. – They’re waiting for a good show before they hit, he says.
Photo: Johan B
Daniel Bhatti, Store Manager at Power in Storo, says many customers are now spending more time before shopping — and It examines what is a good offer and what is not.
Suppliers are now sitting with a lot of merchandise in stock. It is a good sign for consumers because you can then expect very good offers in the future. Suppliers, of course, have to get rid of them to make room for merchandise arriving next year, he says.
A common step before discount periods like Black Week is for stores to increase the prices of some items in advance, so that offers appear better than they might otherwise be.
But services such as price search and price guide on the Internet can make it easier to keep track of the price history of goods, and to detect such “tricks”.
He predicts that a black week may turn into a black month
Black Friday is this year on November 25, while Black Week starts a week earlier.
But retail analyst Rydar Muller at consultancy Varde Hartmark expects Black Week deals to start earlier than usual, because many stores have a large stockpile of merchandise, which they have to get rid of. This is especially true for more expensive capital goods.
Reidar Mueller, partner at Varde Hartmark, says many who run the stores are now going through tough times. – For some convenience store drivers, this is very brutal. They get less profit on the goods they sell, in addition to selling less and increasing costs. Thus, they are punished three times, Muller says.
Photo: Johan B
– There will be bigger discounts and more discounts on discounted items. More people will be buying their Christmas presents now in November in connection with Black Week or Black Month, which we will likely experience.
– And do you expect the discounts to be ever higher?
– Yes I think. In order to reach consumers at all, you have to use increasingly higher discounts. He says it’s a very tough battle for consumer wallets.
Mueller says the industries that have done best during the pandemic are now facing their toughest times. He says the electronics, furniture, sports and building materials industry, especially when it comes to expensive capital goods.
Historically low confidence in private finances
Norwegians’ confidence in their economy has risen The lowest level ever. Interest rates are going up, electricity is expensive, and prices are higher than at any time in the past 30 years.
Much of the commercial industry has had good years during the pandemic, with new sales records. Many struggled to get enough merchandise.
Now the problem is a lot of elements. At the same time that this demand is declining, stores are experiencing increased costs on all sides.
The pandemic years for our industry have been very good. Everything was closed and people chose to invest in their homes. Bought many new TVs and kitchen products. They wanted to enjoy themselves at home. Now we expect a drop. The electronics industry’s managing director, Jan Rusholm, says the living room and kitchen cabinets are full.
The industry now expects a decrease in sales compared to the epidemic years 2020 and 2021. But sales are slightly higher compared to 2019, measured in kr.
NHO Trade and Services Expect a decrease in Christmas shopping this year compared to last year.
At the time of writing, Virke has not come up with a forecast for Christmas trade, but he did expect trade to decline somewhat during the black week compared to last year.
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