‘Black Friday’ can be bettered by independent retail – 5 ideas that don’t mean lowering your prices

Many independent retailers won't promote Black Friday, with heavy discounting threatening already tight margins. Instead of being compelled to join the race to the bottom, there are simple ways to attract customers while highlighting the real value of shopping local.

Black Friday is often seen as a problematic event by many independent retailers, and it’s easy to understand why. According to research from Bira, 70.5 % of indies are refusing to take part, citing tight margins, rising costs, and a lack of capacity to slash prices. Moreover, 75.4 % of respondents believe that Black Friday has a negative effect on the high street.

This discontent is also coupled with growing frustration at the unfair playing field, with issues like the “de minimis” import loophole meaning billions of pounds’ worth of cheap imports enter the UK without paying the duties other retailers must.

In other words: for many independents, participating in Black Friday (or Cyber Monday) by just discounting can often feel both financially risky and strategically unhelpful, with high street shops just not having the wiggle room to compete with the exaggerated discounts offered up by large chains and online retail giants. But that doesn’t mean the season has to be ignored entirely as there are more creative and sustainable ways to benefit from the consumer buzz without eroding your margins.

Here are five simple ideas you can implement to counter Black Friday, not only to protect your profitability, but to reinforce the extra value you offer as a local, independent shop.

1. Offer Experience-Based Promotions

Instead of discounting product prices, lean into the experience of shopping with you.

• Host in-store events: Run a themed evening or weekend with mini workshops, product demos, or “behind the scenes” tours, without the need for price drops.
• Gift with purchase: Rather than reducing the cost, offer a small or even locally made extra (e.g. a sample, reusable bag, or a local goodie) when customers spend over a certain threshold.
• Exclusive access: Give loyal customers early access to new or limited-edition products, or create a period of ‘happy hour’ shopping time for customers that sign up for it in advance

2. Emphasise Added Value, Not Just Price

Highlight what you do differently, and better, than giant outlets that simply push discounts over the Black Friday period.

• Educate on quality and provenance: Use signage, shelf-talkers, or other PoS material to explain the quality, sustainability, or any other benefits of your products.
• Offer personalised service: Involve staff in helping customers choose the right items and offering tailored advice, emphasising the service angle that cannot be replicated just through discounts alone.

3. Run a Local Loyalty Booster

Use Black Friday weekend to strengthen your relationship with existing customers, rather than just trying to bringing in new ones.

• Double up loyalty points: Offer double (or enhanced) loyalty points for purchases during that weekend, if this is a service you offer.
• Referral incentives: Give existing customers a small reward when they refer a friend who buys in that period. Ideally this could be a discount for a future purchase, meaning you’re not having to discount for nothing – often a real thorn in the side of indie retailers during the Black Friday weekend.
• Community tie-in: Partner with local organisations and charities to run a “shop local” campaign in lieu of any Black Friday-style promotion: for instance, donate a percentage of every sale above a certain value, or run a “round-up” scheme at the till.

4. Create a “High Street Alternative” Campaign

Position yourself explicitly as an alternative to the big Black Friday discounts and a more meaningful, sustainable choice.

• Brand it differently: Instead of calling it “Black Friday”, lean into themes like “Indie Friday”, “Colour Friday” (a concept already used by many small-business campaigns), or “High Street Weekend”.
• Collaborate with other local stores: Organise a joint event across several independent retailers, encouraging customers to visit multiple shops as a fully collaborative high street campaign to give customers reason to shop offline as opposed to just looking for Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals without any experiential benefits attached to it.
• Storytelling campaign: Share the stories of the people behind your shop, including your suppliers, makers, or staff, via social media, blog, or window displays, to emphasise the human side of independent retail.

5. Provide Flexible Services to Compete on Convenience

Convenience is often a reason for Black Friday to thrive, however you can compete by offering local, flexible services - without having to cut your prices. In combination with other ideas, this can help reinforace to customers that they aren’t “losing out” by opting for independent retail, but in fact getting the ease of Black Friday while supporting high street shops.

• Click & collect or reserve-online-pay-in-store: Promote these services heavily during the Black Friday period. People still want to browse, but they may want to secure items without delay.
• Personal shopping appointments: Where appropriate, offer timed slots for customers to book a one-to-one shopping appointment. This can feel special, avoids crowds, and helps convert browsing into sales.
• Gift wrapping and local delivery: Provide complimentary or low-cost gift wrapping, and/or local same-day or next-day delivery (or even hand-delivered by staff) for customers in your area. This won’t eat into your margins, but can help you to match, and even gain an edge on – the big chain retailers and online giants who can’t offer this level of personal service.

Don't Race to the Bottom - Show Your Real Value

Black Friday doesn’t have to mean slashing your margins or following the same discount-driven playbook as big chains, with our survey underscoring that many independents simply can’t, and won’t, take that route.

By focusing on experience, added value, local loyalty, high street identity, and service, you can build a Black Friday (or “Indie Friday”) that reinforces what makes your business special and helps customers see why shopping with you matters, beyond just the price.

Image credit: Maria/stock.adobe.com; Anucha/stock.adobe.com