Indian brands take to 'Black Friday' themed messaging

The origin of the phrase 'Black Friday' dates back to the 1950s. The Philadelphia police used this term to describe the chaos that ensued, after Thanksgiving Day. This was the time when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists found their way into the city before a big Army-Navy football game. By the 1980s, retailers found a way to reinvent the term, giving it a positive connotation instead. Black Friday turned into a celebration of the start of Christmas season, after Thanksgiving festivities. Many online and offline retailers offer steep discounts on products during the Black Friday sale as typically, this is the time that American consumers purchase Christmas gifts in advance.

Closer home, the term ‘Black Friday’ has no positive spin to it. The catastrophic 1993 Bombay blasts happened on a Friday. Film maker Anurag Kashyap directed the film ‘Black Friday’ based on Hussain Zaidi’s book on the same name, which is about the bomb blasts of 1993.

Now, just like the US, Indian brands have found ways to a positive spin on the phrase 'Black Friday.' With the entry of Reliance Jio more people gained access to data connectivity and many e-commerce companies saw an increase in sales from different parts of the country. Many e-tailers have started offering sales during major festive seasons and now 'Black Friday' is the latest addition to the list of sales that consumers need to keep an eye out for. Here are some brands that are offering sales for the week of Black Friday (29 November - 2 December).

1. Nykaa

Nykaa calls their annual sale the 'Pink Friday' sale. The sale is all set to run between 29 November till 02 December. The platform now allows users to wish-list items to facilitate quick checkout when the sales begin. The sale is heavily advertised on different media.

2. Xiaomi

Smartphone maker Xiaomi has also announced that it will be holding a Black Friday sale between 29 November and 02 December. During the sale period, Xiaomi products will be available at discounted rates for users to purchase from Mi.com, Flipkart and Amazon India.

3. SHEIN

SHEIN, a fast-moving fashion brand has announced a Black Friday sale starting from 18 November till 02 December on the SHEIN India official website and SHEIN app. The company has promised that in addition to giveaway contests for users, the app will also provide discounts of up to 90 per cent on all collections across the platform. The sale will observe different discounts and prices offered varying every hour for customers shopping from the length and breadth of the country.

4. Club Factory

Club Factory, an e-commerce platform, too, has announced the second edition of its Black Friday Sale from November 26-29. During the period, Club Factory is offering huge discounts on select products with free shipping on every order all over the country. The brand also runs contests that allows users a chance to win products by inviting friends to join the platform.

5. High Street Phoenix

In addition to online retailers, multi-retail mall Phoenix Marketcity in Kurla, Mumbai and luxury mall Palladium, in Lower Parel, Mumbai, are also advertising the discounts offered by the various brands housed under their roofs.