Black Friday deals bring out the shoppers

By Stuart Wilson

On Friday, 28th November, customers gathered at Cost-U-Less on the West Bay Road for  Black Friday deals ahead of the Holiday Season. 

Black Friday in the Cayman Islands like many other destinations has traditionally been a time of much excitement, as shoppers queue at stores vying for an opportunity to be the first in line to enjoy discounts and deals on merchandise in the run-up to Christmas.

However, since the restrictions imposed by Covid-19, store managers have learnt many valuable lessons about crowd control that have served them well in making this time of year less calamitous and more accessible to all - without the usual chaotic rush Black Friday has come to be known for around the world.

The event at Cost-U-Less was well attended, orderly in nature and easy for shoppers to manage.

General Manager of Cost-U-Less, Mary Reynolds explained how the store was able to make the occasion so seamless for customers and staff:

“After Covid everyone kind of changed their strategy. We’ve extended the sales to 11 days, which spreads out the time rather than it being condensed into one day. What that does is give everyone an opportunity to get to the store.

“Folks can take their time and come after work rather than having only one chance and if they miss that, then that’s it.”

Mrs Reynolds noted that spreading out the time that customers have to make it to the store and lengthening the window for specials was not a disadvantage  for the business.

“The shopping has been good this year. Lots of people are buying things to send to Jamaica. That’s a different dynamic than the usual and people have been responding to that.”

According to Cost-U-Less management the store had to be restocked over the course of the promotion and sales leading up to Black Friday but they were ready for the influx of shoppers.

“It’s hard to know what to expect regarding what people will buy and every year there are surprise items that perform well, alongside the products that are always crowd favourites,” noted Mrs Reynolds. 

“Sometime we don’t know what the ‘hot’ item will be.

“For instance, this year there was a little karaoke machine that flew off the shelves,” she chuckled, adding that the Nike slides (slippers) had been a favourite as expected,” she remarked.

Staff at the wholesaler echoed the sentiments of the management team with cashiers expressing gratitude for the strategies implemented to curtail the frantic rush of previous years.

“We are very thankful. The strategy managers have put in place have been very effective. It’s a fun event and everyone can have a good time. It’s something we can look forward to every year,” observed cashier.

Customers also chimed in and explained how Black Friday had changed.

“It’s not like it used to be. The push is not the same for people to try to get into the supermarket first. So it’s much better,” said a shopper who explained she was there to buy a tent and other supplies to send to Jamaica.

Deals included specials on a variety of  items including shoes, appliances and cleaning supplies, with the first 50 shoppers also receiving a 40 bottle case of water.