Asos doubles down on Black Friday after 2018 flop

Asos is set to boost its Black Friday discounting this year after a “disappointing” attempt in 2018.

The fast fashion pureplay offered a 20% discount to customers last year, but has admitted its offer was “uncompetitive” compared with rival ventures.

“Last year Black Friday was disappointing, we are scaling up and are prepared for a much better Black Friday,” Chief Executive Nick Beighton says. “We are all set to capture the opportunity of Black Friday, as well set as we could be, and in a much better position than last year.”

Yesterday, Asos announced that profits in the year to 31st August had plunged, driven by significant tech investment and warehousing issues in Germany and the US. The Black Friday move is unsurprising, according to Elliott Jacobs, EMEA Commerce Consulting Director at LiveArea.

“The discount day has evolved considerably since the days where shoppers fought over televisions. We are now seeing a new level of planning and strategy, particularly online. More than ever before, retailers need to do more to cut through the noise and be in the public consciousness as early as possible,” he says.

Asos’s move is designed to get consumers thinking about the items they want, he adds. Announcing sales early encourages them to save products to shopping cart and prime them for deals to drop ahead of competition. “While Black Friday will remain a day of discounts, we can expect retailers to start making noise about the event earlier than ever,” he comments.

“This trend means preparation is the difference between success and failure – especially with the day falling on payday weekend this year. Not only does planning months, or even a year, ahead help you capture the attention of consumers, but it’s vital in meeting some of the greatest challenges of the discount season – discount rates, products, stock and delivery,” Jacobs concludes.