{"id":1357,"date":"2026-10-19T15:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stokveltalk.co.za\/?p=1357"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:30:09","slug":"the-black-friday-shopper-is-planning-earlier-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stokveltalk.co.za\/?p=1357","title":{"rendered":"The Black Friday shopper is planning earlier than ever"},"content":{"rendered":"
Black Friday may officially fall on 27 November <\/b>this year, but for many South African shoppers, the journey has already begun. From researching products and comparing prices to deciding which purchases to prioritise, consumers are turning their attention to Black Friday well ahead of the traditional November rush. Google Trends data shows that search interest in Black Friday was 30% higher over the past three months than during the same period last year. The search activity ranges from basic questions about when Black Friday takes place to searches for specific products, brands and retailers, providing an early indication of what is attracting consumers\u2019 attention as the shopping period approaches.<\/div>\n
For retailers, this early interest matters as it suggests that the Black Friday shopping journey is beginning well before customers reach a store or add an item to an online basket.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
From Black Friday to a longer shopping journey<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
Black Friday has evolved beyond a single day of queues, promotions and impulse purchases. The emergence of \u201cBlack November\u201d, together with extended promotional periods, has given consumers more time to research products, compare prices and consider where they want to spend their money. At the same time, value remains central to household purchasing decisions. This makes the period leading up increasingly important as consumers assess what they need, what they can afford and which purchases are worth waiting for.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cBlack Friday is no longer only about what happens on the day. Customers are researching earlier, comparing their options and thinking carefully about where they can get the best value for their budgets,\u201d says Charmagne Mazhindu, Massmart Marketing VP.<\/b>\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
For Massmart, which operates some of South Africa\u2019s best-known retail brands, including Makro, Game and Builders, understanding this longer consideration period is important to how they approach Black Friday.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cMakro and Game, in particular, are among the most-searched retailers for Black Friday. That means we need to be relevant throughout the shopping journey, not simply when the promotion starts,\u201d adds Mazhindu.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Phones, gaming and fashion are already attracting attention<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
Product-specific searches provide a closer look at what consumers are researching. Queries such as \u201cPS5 black Friday\u201d, \u201cblack Friday ps5\u201d and \u201cPS5 price\u201d appear alongside searches for several iPhone models and iPhone Black Friday deals and fashion-related searches including premium clothing brands. The emerging picture is of a Black Friday customer who is increasingly informed before the sale begins. This changes the role of retailers. Competitive promotions remain important, but so too is helping customers understand what is available, what it costs and where they can find value across both everyday needs and bigger-ticket purchases.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cCustomers have more information at their fingertips than ever before, and they are using it,\u201d says Mazhindu<\/b>. \u201cOur focus is therefore on making it easier for customers to plan, compare and ultimately make purchasing decisions that work for their households and budgets.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
More details on Makro and Game\u2019s Black Friday 2026 offers will be announced closer to the event.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Black Friday may officially fall on 27 November this year, but for many South African<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Black Friday shopper is planning earlier than ever - Stokvel Talk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stokveltalk.co.za\/?p=1357\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Black Friday shopper is planning earlier than ever - Stokvel Talk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Black Friday may officially fall on 27 November this year, but for many South African\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/stokveltalk.co.za\/?p=1357\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stokvel Talk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-19T15:30:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/stokveltalk.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Makro-Parking-Lot-.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1211\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/?p=1357#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/?p=1357\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8cab1ed537bfb6dd99c4d3e0d0c10c26\"},\"headline\":\"The Black Friday shopper is planning earlier than ever\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-19T15:30:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/?p=1357\"},\"wordCount\":497,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/?p=1357#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Makro-Parking-Lot-.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Local\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/?p=1357#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/?p=1357\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stokveltalk.co.za\\\/?p=1357\",\"name\":\"The Black Friday shopper is planning earlier than ever - 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