'Tis the season for tinsel, foodie feasts, good cheer, and, of course, gift-giving.
Whether it’s a Christmas present, or an end-of-year token of thanks, Aussie bargain hunters have scored bigger than ever this year ahead of the holidays during Amazon Australia’s annual Black Friday sale.
The longest ever Black Friday sale for Amazon.com.au, the nine-day event saw Australians from across the country get a head start on their seasonal shopping, cashing-in on major deals on everything from tech and appliances, to fashion and homewares — and saving millions of dollars in the process.
“More so than ever before, Australians took advantage of our Black Friday sale event to save millions of dollars leading into the holidays,” says Amazon Australia Country Manager, Janet Menzies.
“Some of our top deals could be found on big ticket items from the likes of Samsung, Lego, Apple, and Bose, but it wasn’t just these big-name international brands that were popular.
“This Black Friday sale event marked our biggest shopping event ever for small business brands in terms of sales, with tens of thousands of products purchased from hundreds of businesses throughout the sale”.
Homegrown brands stealing the show
In recent years, Black Friday has become an important – if not the most important – event of the annual Australian retail calendar, particularly for local sellers, such as Tara Simich — Founder of hair styling tools and accessories brand, Mermade Hair.
“We saw significant sales in the week leading up to Black Friday and right through to the following Tuesday,” says Tara. “Which is far longer than we’ve seen in previous years.
“In fact, every single SMB I’ve spoken with says this year’s Black Friday sales were their biggest ever!”
The brand’s Mermade Hair Pro Waver was a standout in the beauty department, while the hilarious SERVD – Kids Vs Parents Real-Life Family Card Game won the hearts of parents and kids around the country, and DoggieBalm Co Paw & Nose Balm was a clear favourite for pet-owners.
Raphael McGowan — founder of Bakslap, a local business pioneering a DIY applicator of sunscreen and body lotion — says that this year’s Black Friday weekend saw Christmas come early for both him and his team.
“This year's Black Friday weekend was our biggest on record in terms of sales.
“We're so thankful that holiday shoppers are supporting local businesses. And Amazon’s sales events, like Black Friday, make it even easier to connect with more customers.”
Committed to Aussie business — Black Friday and beyond
Amazon Australia is proud to offer over 14,000 local selling partners beneficial tools, data and personalised guidance at every step of their journey — and for businesses like NAKIE — which sells 100% recycled hammocks and name behind NAKIE Double Hammock — it has been a game-changer.
“Selling on Amazon Australia was a huge turning point for us,” says Dean Leibbrandt, NAKIE Co-Founder.
“It has allowed us to grow and expand our business, while also taking a huge amount of pressure off us thanks to Fulfilment by Amazon, where we store our products in Amazon's fulfilment centre and they pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service for all orders”.
“They’ve supported us in so many different ways, from helping us develop our Amazon store and building PR exposure to helping with our brand awareness.
“We can’t thank Amazon Australia enough for their support during Black Friday and throughout the year – it’s really transformed our business like we never imagined possible.”
Raphael explained that the support Amazon Australia offered to Bakslap was much appreciated during the sale period.
“Amazon Australia reached out to our small team a few months ahead of the Black Friday sales with tips, support and, most incredibly, open ears,” he says.
“They helped ensure our listings were current and that we had enough stock in their fulfilment centre, as well as suggesting some offers we could present during the weekend.
“For the entrepreneurs behind these brands, the support offered by Amazon Australia is invaluable.”
A promising future
Bolstered by the success of events like Black Friday, many of the SMBs on amazon.com.au are already looking ahead to the next 12 months and the expansion they hope it will bring.
"We have already gone from strength to strength over the past two years,” Raphael shares. “Amazon Australia is now a big part of our growth strategy, and we plan on using the next year to continue improving our knowledge and use of the store so that we can continue connecting with more Aussie shoppers.”
Mermade’s Tara is also confident it’s the roadmap her brand needs to continue growing.
“It’s inspiring to see the way the retail industry is picking up across the country and exciting to think about what may be possible in the next few years,” she says.
“The results we’ve already seen are beyond our wildest expectations, so who knows what tomorrow could hold.”
Black Friday has come and gone, but Amazon Australia is still offering great deals for the holiday season. For a one-stop-shop of holiday essentials and thoughtful gifts, visit Amazon.com.au.
