B&Q has announced it would abandon Black Friday this year amid research that shows half of shoppers are expected to ignore the November sales period.
The home improvement retailer said it would stick with its “everyday low prices” model, which went store-wide with a £100 million investment from July this year and has been in place on kitchens since 2014.
B&Q was prompted to abandon Black Friday after recent research it commissioned showed that shoppers trusted retailers offering year-round low prices far more than those that ran frequent sales and occasional offers.
The retailer added that 46 per cent of survey participants admitted they weren’t planning to shop in this year’s Black Friday sales while 43 per cent said they often or always returned items after regretting purchases made in short term, dramatic sales.
Meanwhile, 29 per cent confessed to feeling like they had to make a quick decision to take advantage of fleeting price drops, and 16 per cent said they were lured into impulse buying which ultimately led to “shopper’s regret”.
The atmosphere created by limited time offers also left 23 per cent of shoppers feeling stressed and anxious, and 21 per cent feeling extra pressure to purchase something.
“Shoppers have told us they trust stable low prices far more than ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ deals, which is why we have invested £100 million in our year round low prices across the store,” B&Q commercial director Paul White said.
“Our pricing is all part of B&Q’s strategy to help make home improvement more affordable for all customers. This year, over 3000 new low prices have been introduced for great quality products.
“Our everyday low prices mean shoppers don’t have to impulse buy to get the best deal. For us, it’s Black Friday every day so you can get started and do it now.”
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