This year's Black Friday could be one of the most relevant in a long time for South African retailers needing to clear shelves of old stock - and hoping to get their books from the red back into the black.
Originating in the US, Black Friday kicks off the Christmas spending season. This year big retailers have extended Black Friday and so too have many smaller ones, who are relying on the promotion to get them through to December and then a more successful 2021.
Johannesburg clothing brand Rep Lepara held a 50% off sale that continues until tomorrow on selected items.
The business launched in 2013 when Makgwale Mareme, 28, began selling hats in the popular inner-city Maboneng district.
"I had a thing for hats and I began to collect and sell them. People nicknamed me Lepara, which is street talk for 'wise', so I thought it would make a great name . And I added a walking cane as a logo," said Mareme.
Mareme started getting requests for T-shirts with the logo, and for pants to match the shirts, and then shoes.
"Lockdown nearly killed us. To save the business we turned to manufacturing masks. That's how we survived."
Rep Lepara has a large online following and has been seen on the backs of Mzansi celebs like DJ Speedsta, actor Nkanyiso Mzimela (Melusi on Isibaya), and kwaito star Mzambiya.
Its online store is its core revenue generator.
"Sales numbers have increased on small items like masks and gradually on the other lines. We believe we're going to do better next year because our affordable brand has grown online," said Mareme.
Gontse Nxumalo's successful sneaker-cleaning business has expanded to selling shoes and beverages to the steady stream of customers lining the street outside his home and business, Orlando Sneaker Care Technicians (OSCT) in Orlando, Soweto.
OSCT's Black Friday offer - which runs until December 3 to limit customers at the store - is 50% off services.
Nxumalo, 28, began the business in 2016 after feeling restless in his job as a brand consultant for a major clothing retailer.
"Chatting to my friend about my ambitions whilst he was washing his shoes, I had the idea that I could find customers for him. I posted an advert on Facebook and it all started from there."
OSCT was the first dedicated sneaker-cleaning business in Soweto, gaining Nxumalo a measure of fame, not only because his business was featured by brands vying to attract young consumers, but because of his celebrity clients, such as Spikiri and Jakarumba of kwaito group Trompies.
The shop front has become a meeting place for locals hoping for a glance of the celebs.
"Since we are catering for the township market our price range is a bit cheaper than the retail. For example, the Airmax 95 [sneakers] we have here at retail is R3,500 but from us you can get it for only R2,000.
"I know it's been a bad year [for some retailers] but our sales have grown . I'm expecting better results than last Christmas [which is] why we are investing back towards the customer experience so they come back to the store."
In 2016, Durban entrepreneurs Justin, 31, and Vanessa Blake, 33, bought the then two-year-old store Silvery, which imported silver-plated jewellery. They intended to turn it into an online custom silver jewellery business.
Within five months of starting to create bespoke pure silver pieces, the business took off.
They went from one designer to 11 designers in the 220m2 warehouse, four people working customer services and five people working the website.
Their focus markets are SA, Germany and Australia - with Australia increasingly contributing more to the company's growth.
"I've always been interested in owning an online business . Online is easier to manage in terms of quality and customer service. Everything we make is checked in-house before it is sent," said Blake.
We are investing
— Gontse Nxumalo of OSCT
back towards the
customer experience
so they come back
to the store
"We have a long way to go marketwise in Australia and Germany - those are our focused markets - but we do ship worldwide. We are also working to add to our collection, but our hyper focus is on quality. So we don't partake in Black Friday, which is very sales- driven. It doesn't suit our long-term vision for the company."
But Silvery does offer its existing customers promotions and gift cards ranging from R100-R500 during the festive season, which, with a 40% repeat customer rate, seem to be working.
"We were doing well until lockdown. But we bounced back in May and we are set to see a 15% increase in revenue on the year before. I believe it's because we are purely online. People were ordering during lockdown.
"We expect to see growth next year but it depends on Covid and the economy. We hope to see an increase in local growth - we remain positive we will but so many jewellers have closed. We are lucky we continued to grow this year and that we were able to keep staff. It would be a different case if we had [a brick and mortar] store."
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