First Published: 15th July 2023, written by Chloé Safilo | Last Updated on 6th January 2024 | Reviewed and Edited by Chloe Safilo
Black Friday is around the corner and it’s fast to become Fashion’s most lucrative day for sales and bargain hunters. Is there a more magical feeling than finding the item of clothing you have been wishing for, suddenly get reduced in price or go onto clearance sale?
Is it possible to know when it is going on sale and if you should wait before your purchase? Well according it’s easy to grab a bargain in the Black Friday sales, and checking in early is the key.
How do sales work?
When a fashion retailer or clothing brand goes on sale it’s all about clearing dead stock that is taking up valuable space in the warehouse. Out of season styles would always go on sale to clear them to help fund the next season’s production. With fashion trends changing so fast, it’s easy for garments to become passé.
And if you are not worried about what styles are en vogue and fashionable, this old stock is a goldmine for a bargain. And if the consumer does not buy it, don’t be surprised to see it has been sold onto a factory outlet like TK Maxx. So clothing brands prefer to go on clearance sale first for shoppers to take advantage of 70% to 80% off prices.
When is the best time to go to the sale?
The beauty of online shopping means that as soon as the sales start you can immediately get that item you want. So make sure you are signed up to their emails and follow them on social media as the limited sizes will go first. You could always have a look pre-sale and add the items to your basket so you are ready to check out.
Another cheeky alternative is to buy BEFORE the sale starts, then contact the company for a return. Smaller clothing brands should be happy to refund the difference rather than take the item back for a full refund when they will at best sell it again for that value. If they don’t have the size you want, check those other retailers that stock your favourite clothing brand, as they should be price matching.
When is Black Friday 2023?
Friday 24th November. With Cyber Monday the 27th. Some retailers may start their sale a week early, and some are already doing Blackout November.
Why is it called Black Friday?
Black Friday is an American tradition to the shopping day after Thanksgiving in the United States, started when workers called in sick to get a long weekend off. Due to low productivity, it was made an official holiday in some states.
It was only later it got its name because of either the Police referring to the high volume of shoppers causing traffic accidents or from retailers who coined the phrase due to the profit made on Green Friday and Green Monday (or Cyber Monday as publicly known).
Black Friday in the UK
The American tradition of Blitz day was brought to the UK thanks to Amazon as early as 2010 but has only recently taken off. It is now seen as the perfect opportunity for consumers to pick up on cheap early Christmas presents in the big sale event.
YouGov in 2018 estimated that 29% of consumers planned to buy their Christmas gifts in November. And 2018 did see an increase of 10% in transactions. So there is a high chance of British online shoppers snapping up reduced purchases again in 2021 where the expectation is again that more people will join in but with less money spent due to the current economy.
Which streetwear brands are doing Black Friday Sales?
We’ll release direct links as they are announced and brands that usually run blackout sales are:
- Hype
- Sik Silk
- 11degrees.com
- Couture Club
- Maniere De Voir
