How Can Small Businesses Win Black Friday on Customer Experience Instead of Price?
From Would Recommend: Real Stories From Businesses Worth Talking About with Nikki McKnight · 34:09
Show by Nikki McKnight
Can a small business actually win Black Friday when the big box stores can afford to go 50% off?Every November my inbox turns into a percentage-off arms race, and every year the number has to climb a little higher to get anyone’s attention. That’s a fight small businesses were never built to win. Shoppers have already said where small businesses have the edge, and it isn’t price; it’s service, and gifts you can’t find on a warehouse shelf.So in this Nikki Talks episode, I’m bringing you six ways to show up this Black Friday and Cyber Monday that protect your price, respect your list and give your customers something to remember once the discount is gone. What you’ll hear in this episode:Why a bigger discount is the easiest thing for a competitor to copy, and what to offer instead that nobody else canHow to give your subscribers a way out of the sale that isn’t a way out of you (so they’re still there for your next launch)How to take the risk out of buying at a time when shoppers are more stressed and more suspicious of “deals” than everThe one question to ask every Black Friday buyer that will shape next year’s plan better than any trend reportBlack Friday can be one of the biggest moments that matter in your client experience, because it brings more new people through your door in one weekend than most months do, and what you do with them afterward decides whether the sale bought you customers or just transactions.Sources Mentioned in This EpisodeDeloitte, 2025 Black Friday-Cyber Monday Survey https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about/press-room/deloitte-survey-black-friday-cyber-monday.htmlThe Week, A Brief History of Black Friday: https://theweek.com/articles/455369/brief-history-black-fridayWord Origins, Black Friday / Cyber Monday: https://wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/black-friday-cyber-mondayTechnical.ly, Cyber Monday's 20-Year History: https://technical.ly/entrepreneurship/cyber-monday-20-year-history/Black Friday in Canada and the Boxing Day shift (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)Cyber Monday in Canada, 80% of Canadian online retailers by 2011 (Wikipedia, citing the Toronto Star): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_MondayNational Retail Federation, Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Draws a Record 203 Million Shoppers (2025): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/thanksgiving-holiday-weekend-draws-a-record-203-million-shoppersAdobe Analytics via Nasdaq, Black Friday 2025 Online Sales and Mobile Share: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/black-friday-2025-sets-record-118-billion-us-online-sales-adobeRetail Council of Canada x Leger, 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey: https://www.retailcouncil.org/?p=116426BBC, Which? Warns Over Black Friday Price Offers: https://bbc.in/3oNFHXSBankrate via Yahoo Finance, Holiday Shoppers on Big vs Small Retailers (2024): https://finance.yahoo.com/news/survey-more-holiday-shoppers-likely-134133653.htmlThe Drum, Bloom & Wild Leads the Thoughtfulness Opt-Out Movement: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2020/03/02/bloom-and-wild-leads-thoughtfulness-opt-out-movementHypebae, Deciem Closes on Black Friday for a Month-Long November Sale: https://hypebae.com/2019/11/deciem-the-ordinary-sale-november-23-percent-off-black-friday-closingOntario Consumer Protection Act, O. Reg. 187/07 (gift card expiry rules): https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r07187Connect with Nikki on Instagram: instagram.com/iamnikkimck The Would Recommend Standard is a free guide to the five principles behind businesses people can't stop talking about. Grab it here: theopsshop.biz/wouldrecommend-standard A Spark Session is a 90-minute strategy session where you and Nikki dig into your client experience and figure out exactly where it's working and where it isn't. Book yours here: theopsshop.biz/sparksession
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