How Retailers Promote
Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Review of Black Friday & Cyber Monday Promotions
December, 2011
What You Need To Know
• At many key retailers, Black Friday “Door Buster” events started earlier
with some stores opening Thursday (Thanksgiving) evening.
• Black Friday is the top promoted week of the year for many categories.
This one week represents 5.0% of annual electronics ads, 4.9% of apparel
ads, 5.2% of housewares ads, and 7.1% of toy ads.
• Kmart ran more Black Friday ads than any other retailer. Kohl’s and Sears
rounded out the top 3.
• While Best Buy ran the most electronics ads for Black Friday, Shopko and
Kmart both ran more electronics ads than Target & Walmart.
• Apparel products represent only 17.0% of circular ads for general
merchandise, but lead all segments with 27.2% of retailer web
promotions.
• Meijer ran almost 5 times as many web promotions than the second
highest retailer, Best Buy.
• Over 1/3 of the web promotion ad blocks run by Meijer were for Apparel.
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Notable Black Friday Opening Times
Retailer
Opening Day/Time 2011
Opening Day/Time 2010
Toys R us
Thursday @ 9:30 pm
Thursday @ 10:00 pm
Walmart
Thursday @ 10:00 pm
Friday @ 12:00 am
Target
Thursday @ 11:00 pm
Friday @ 4:00 am
Kohls
Friday @ 12:00 am
Friday @ 3:00 am
Best Buy
Friday @ 12:00 am
Friday @ 5:00 am
Sears
Friday @ 4:00 am
Friday @ 4:00 am
JC Penney
Friday @ 4:00 am
Friday @ 4:00 am
Kmart
Friday @ 5:00 am
(also open 6 am-9 pm on Thursday)
Friday @ 5:00 am
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Some of the Black Friday Deals
Hhgregg 11/23/11
ShopRite 11/26/11
Best Buy 11/23/11
Net Price
$155
Target 11/23/11
Rite Aid 11/29/11
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Weekly Share of Weighted Ads - Electronics
Share of 52 Week Ad Support
6.0%
The week of Black Friday represents
5% of annual retail ad support for
Electronics – more than 2 times the
ads of an average week.
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
Christmas
2010
Black Friday
2011
Father’s Day
Super Bowl
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
Source: ECRM, 52 Weeks Ending 11/26/2011
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Weekly Share of Weighted Ads - Apparel
Share of 52 Week Ad Support
6.0%
Black Friday
2011
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
Father’s Day
Christmas
2010
Back to
School
Easter
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
Source: ECRM, 52 Weeks Ending 11/26/2011
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Weekly Share of Weighted Housewares Ads
Share of Weighted Housewares Ads
Black Friday
2011
6.0%
5.0%
Labor
Day
4.0%
3.0%
Christmas
2010
Mother’s Day
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
Source: ECRM, 52 Weeks Ending 11/26/2011
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Weekly Share of Weighted Toy Ads
Share of Weighted Toy Ads
18.0%
Toy Books Released
for Kmart, Walmart,
& Target
16.0%
14.0%
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
Christmas
2010
Black Friday
2011
Easter
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
Source: ECRM, 52 Weeks Ending 11/26/2011 Excludes Toy-R-Us
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Percent of Promotions By Product Department
Share of Retail Ad Support
84.6%
General Merchandise
81.3%
13.0%
HBC
16.1%
There were 1584 less
General Merchandise ad
blocks than last year.
2010
2011
2.3%
Grocery
2.5%
* Traditional Grocery Retailers are not included.
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toy-R-Us
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Percent of General Merchandise Promotions
By Product Segment
Share of General Merchandise Retail Ad Support
Housewares
18.8%
Electronics
17.1%
Apparel
17.0%
Sports Equipment
16.2%
Toys
11.3%
School & Office Supplies
8.8%
Hardware
Home Recreation&Fitness
Other
Automotive
2011
4.2%
2.6%
2.2%
1.9%
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011
Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toy-R-Us
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Year/Year Change in Top General Merchandise
Segments
Change From 2010
20%
9%
7%
1%
-5%
-17%
Housewares
Electronics
Apparel
Sports Equipment
Toys
School & Office
Supplies
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toys-R-Us
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Categories with the Most Black Friday Week Promos
Category Share of General Merchandise Retail Ad
Support
Indoor/Outdoor Sport
10.4%
TV&Video Electronics
8.1%
Computers
6.9%
Kitchen&Tabletop
6.9%
Women's Apparel
5.6%
Electronic Toys
5.3%
Large Appliances
5.0%
Men's Apparel
Photo
Audio Electronics
2011
4.6%
3.8%
3.4%
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011
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Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toys-R-Us
Year/Year Change in Top General Merchandise
Categories
Change From 2010
14%
13%
5%
-3%
-9%
-26%
Indoor/Outdoor
Sporting Goods
TV&Video
Electronics
Computers
Kitchen&Tabletop Women's Apparel Electronic Toys
Appliances
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
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Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toys-R-Us
Retailers Running the Most Ads
Black Friday Week
Ad Blocks
WE 11/27/2010
WE 11/26/2011
Change
Kmart
840
870
+30
Kohl's
751
650
-101
Sears
Shoppers Drug
Mart
Shopko Stores
Big 5 Sporting
Goods
Best Buy
566
643
+77
313
528
+216
470
502
+33
354
497
+143
420
487
+67
Meijer
604
480
-124
Macy's
457
440
-18
Target Stores
305
334
+29
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
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Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toys-R-Us
Retailer Support of the Apparel Category
Apparel Category Brand Features
Kohl's
706
Big 5 Sporting Goods
277
Kmart
271
Macy's
JC Penney
Dick's Sporting Goods
210
207
197
Shopko Stores
374
364
354
344
374
298
340
2010
2011
135
178
147
165
Meijer
Sears
Zellers
844
75
83
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
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Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toys-R-Us
Retailer Support of the Electronics Category
Electronics Category Brand Features
323
Best Buy
349
202
183
Shopko Stores
153
174
Kmart
114
hhgregg
63
Walmart-US
113
77
Target Stores
Sears
95
85
84
Meijer
OfficeMax
38
Staples
42
32
112
112
140
2010
2011
59
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
16
Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toys-R-Us
Retailer Support of the Housewares Category
Housewares Category Brand Features
Kohl's
219
155
Sears
135
Macy's
120
115
112
JC Penney
Lowe's
59
Meijer
Zellers
Target Stores
75
52
184
164
157
159
Kmart
Shopko Stores
273
138
2010
2011
103
99
72
61
67
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toys-R-Us
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Retailer Support of the Toys Category
Toys Category Brand Features
291
Kohl's
Kmart
Target Stores
207
Meijer
143
81
Shopko Stores
Walmart-US
Best Buy
Zellers
Rite Aid
Macy's
67
45
58
60
57
95
111
92
102
87
141
382
283
259
250
258
2010
2011
Source: ECRM
Week Ending 11/26/2011 vs. Yr. Ago
Excludes Unbranded Promos & Toy-R-Us
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Department Ad Support – Web Promos vs.
Circular Promos
Share of Ad Support
84.5%
General Merchandise
64.6%
Web Promotions
9.1%
Circular Promotions
HBC
17.9%
The General Merchandise
department had 100% of the web
promo ads if we just look at ads that
started 11/27/2011 and ended
11/29/2011.
6.4%
Grocery
17.6%
Source: ECRM Week Ending - 12/3/2011
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Top General Merchandise Segments –
Web Promos vs. Circular Promos
Share of Ad Support
27.2%
Apparel
16.9%
15.7%
17.6%
Housewares
13.9%
14.5%
Toys
10.5%
12.0%
Electronics
Circular Promotions
9.1%
7.7%
School & Office Supplies
Sports Equipment
Web Promotions
4.5%
3.6%
Source: ECRM Week Ending - 12/3/2011
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Top Supported General Merchandise Categories –
Web Promos vs. Circular Promos
Share of Ad Support
14.9%
Apparel Accessories
4.6%
7.7%
Computers
5.8%
5.2%
5.3%
TV&Video Electronics
Shoes
Kitchen&Tabletop Appliances
Women's Apparel
Home Décor
Electronic Toys
Web Promotions
4.5%
2.4%
Circular Promotions
4.3%
6.3%
3.9%
4.7%
3.8%
2.6%
3.1%
5.3%
Source: ECRM Week Ending - 12/3/2011
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Retailer Web Promo Ad Support
Meijer
3009
Best Buy
601
Dollar General
353
Walmart-US
329
Top Meijer Categories
Sears
270
Kmart
256
Category
Ad Count
Shopko Stores
225
Apparel
1,333
Office Depot
210
Toys
310
Target Stores
199
302
BJ's Wholesale Club
176
Toys - R - Us
154
JC Penney
150
Staples
140
Housewares
Infant
Accessories
Sports
Equipment
Sam's Club
135
Walgreens
124
222
196
Source: ECRM Week Ending - 12/3/2011
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Top Supported Manufacturers
Web Promotions
Katz Private Brand
Circular Promotions
1 Procter & Gamble Company
Hewlett Packard
2
Kohl's Private Brand
Dollar General Private
Brand
3
Nestle S.A.
Samsung America Inc.
4
Unilever
Seiko Instruments, Inc.
5
Mattel Toys
Hasbro, Inc.
6
JCPenney Private Brand
Mattel Toys
7
Sears Private Brand
Step 2 Company
8
Sony Electronics Inc.
Little Tikes Co.
9
Hasbro, Inc.
The Coleman Company 10
7 of the top 10
manufacturers supported
by web promotions were
electronics or toys.
Hewlett Packard
Source: ECRM Week Ending - 12/3/2011
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Target 12/11/11
Apple iPad
Micro Center 12/7/11
If you wanted an iPad 2, the
lowest price was not on Black
Friday or Cyber Monday, but a
week later at Micro Center
($449.99). Target is only $10
more but you need to spend
that $40 savings at Target
($459.99).
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Methodology
• Retail ad support measured by number of ad blocks in retailer print
circulars. Ad share is weighted by retailer size.
• Ad counts include branded & private label products, but not unbranded.
• Ad circular data includes U.S. & Canadian retailers
• All traditional grocery retailers have been excluded.
ECRM’s MarketGate Ad Comparisons
Web Site: www.AdCompare.MarketGate.com
Studies on Retail Promotions: www.PromotionalReflections.com
Contacts:
Scott Whalley
Jason Marshall
847-482-1793
440-498-0500
scott@ecrm.marketgate.com
jmarshall@ecrm.marketgate.com
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