Will stores have a bigger storm to weather this Black Friday?

As the bad weather forecast for this weekend might disrupt this year’s Black Friday shopping, store owners are worried that there might be other threats looming which are worse than the storm that’s coming.

“The weather is not really the biggest issue,” a C-level executive who comes from the field of retail stated, “as there are plenty of stores which are inside shopping centres and will not really be affected by the rain.”

“This is not to mention that sometimes, the weather forecast in Malta changes very quickly and I think locals are now used to that, so if they have a day of shopping planned, they will, very likely, go ahead with it no matter the weather,” they added.

The retail professional stated that it is difficult to predict the impact that issues such as inflation and increased energy costs have on locals.

“Inflation is something that we are on the lookout for, and it will be interesting to observe whether those with a lower income will take a step back and not buy as much as they did before, or whether those with a higher income might opt to buy cheaper brands than what they are used to.”

“Having said that, another possibility is that we are simply overthinking and that there will be no effect whatsoever on this year’s Black Friday sales,” they added speaking of how sometimes “Malta tends to be a little bit insular, and people don’t always react in the same way as those in other countries to issues such as inflation or energy price concerns.”

Unlike other years, when it was easier to anticipate what was going to happen, people in retail are taking a step back and are being more conservative with their predictions.

Black Friday 2022 is being held today, 25th November, however discounts often run through the weekend. The sun is shining for this year’s Black Friday event, which is sure to encourage any prospective shoppers with time on their hands.