Retailers shift Black Friday strategy as shoppers demand value and convenience

Black Friday in South Africa has shed its elbows-out reputation and now resembles a national economic mood indicator.

The 2025 festive season arrives with consumers still weighed down by high food prices, transport hikes and the cost of keeping the lights on. Yet spending growth during the Black Friday period is still expected, according to Absa, which anticipates a cautious mindset and what it calls a “strong focus on value” from consumers.

The bank is forecasting a 10% jump in spending on Black Friday itself, and says transaction volumes could breach the R4.5-billion mark.

Andrew Wilmot, executive for payments acceptance at Absa Business Banking, said the bank expected strong activity and that food and grocery categories would again lead growth.

Read more: Your Black Friday safety checklist

“We anticipate completing 9.75 million transactions for our merchants on Black Friday. Category leaders for growth have been the food and grocery businesses historically, and we anticipate this to be the same for 2025,” he said.

It seems as if the traditional one-day splash has turned into a test of strategic discipline rather than sheer markdown bravado.

Retailers chase the grocery basket

Big retailers are stepping away from sweeping sales and turning toward precise promotions. Absa said that the expected discount range sat between 5% and 20% and would be more targeted. Essentials are the anchor.

Pick n Pay’s (PnP) approach is informed by shopper data and its own sales history.

“Our Black Friday strategy is focused on value across the basket: groceries and basic staples remain a core focus (they accounted for 25% of last year’s purchases), while we are also promoting categories that grew in popularity (clothing, shoes and appliances),” said Katherine Madley, PnP’s executive for marketing, brand and digital.

Read more: Black November sales reveal most consumers are struggling

Spar is singing from a similar hymn sheet. Mpudi Maubane, communications and sponsorships manager at The Spar Group, said the retailer had aligned its product selection to meet shifting customer needs.

“Key categories that have remained popular during Black Friday include essential commodities such as cooking oil, milk, canned fish, super maize meal and flour, alongside other essentials like detergents, toilet paper and baby diapers,” he told Daily Maverick.

“Our approach to Black Friday is simple,” Maubane said. “We understand how the economy is tough for many South Africans who have had to cope with high prices and inflation. We know that the holiday season and its festivities with their many expenses are just around the corner.”

The rise of the ‘phygital’ shopper

South African shoppers don’t follow a single path when buying. They research online, compare prices on mobile and walk into stores to buy.

The 2024 South African Customer Experience Report notes that 57% of consumers now begin online discovery before making an in-store purchase. Retailers can no longer rely on any single touchpoint.

“Retailers must rethink how they attract, engage and retain customers across channels,” said Greg van der Riet, the chief commercial officer at payment platform PayJustNow. “A website or app can no longer serve as a static catalogue; it needs to be a dynamic space for inspiration, discovery and comparison that connects to the broader retail experience.”

Read more: In South Africa’s e-commerce boom, trust beats automation

Pick n Pay agrees.

“Customers are increasingly blending online and in-store shopping, and we are ready for that,” said its executive for online, Enrico Ferigolli. “Our focus is to make the experience reliable and rewarding, wherever and however people choose to shop.”

And so the physical and digital morphs into one and the “phygital” shopper emerges just in time for Black Friday 2025.

Logistics becomes a selling point

Speed has become a differentiator. Nearly three-quarters of South African shoppers say fast and reliable delivery helps reduce festive season stress, according to research commissioned by Amazon and conducted by HarrisX.

Retailers are reacting because the same research shows that out-of-stock frustration affects 67% of shoppers. Optimising inventory processes rose nine percentage points year-on-year as the leading route to boosting profitable online orders.

Robert Koen, managing director for Amazon Sub-Saharan Africa, said the company was concentrating on the two things shoppers prioritise.

“This Black Friday, Amazon is focused on what matters most to customers: saving money and getting their orders fast and reliably. In Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, customers can get same-day delivery for just R2 throughout the festive period — with no minimum spend.”

Pay later to buy now

Flexible payment tools have become a conversion weapon. Buy Now, Pay Later added R11.8-billion ($686-million) to online sales in 2024, an 8.8% jump from the previous year.

PayJustNow processed R65.3-million over the Black Friday weekend 2024, a 103% year-on-year increase. The model frees wallets that would otherwise stay shut.

“Consumers want choice, not just in the products they buy, but in how they find and pay for them,” Van der Riet said.

Absa expects the expansion of Buy Now Pay Later to boost e-commerce retailers in 2025, and believes the option will continue to appeal to younger shoppers and those without traditional credit, both in stores and online.

Read more: Gen Z’s digital takeover of SA’s payments industry

Black Friday 2025 will reward retailers that offer the winning formula of convenience, reliability, flexibility and trust.

“The way forward lies in embracing digital channels not simply as sales platforms, but as experience platforms: places where inspiration, discovery, comparison and payment all converge,” Van der Riet said.

The day no longer revolves around chaos at the mall entrance, but hinges on calm transactions, intelligent planning and retailers behaving as though shoppers remember who treated them well. DM