What is White Friday? White Friday Review, Features

White Friday, which usually falls on the third Wednesday to Saturday of November every year, is the biggest e-commerce promotion day of the year in the Middle East. The day after Thanksgiving is the first day of big purchases for Americans, so the fourth Friday of November every year is called "Black Friday". Souq, the largest e-commerce company in the Middle East, introduced this big promotion day in 2014 and changed its name to "White Friday".

About White Friday

White Friday and Black Friday are the same holiday, which is the day after Thanksgiving. However, in the Middle East, the "black" in Black Friday is changed to "white", which is related to the traditional Muslim culture and customs. Middle Eastern consumers are mainly Muslims. Friday is the weekend in the Middle East. Muslims go to the mosque to pray for the safety of their families and hope to receive the blessing of the Prophet Muhammad. Friday in the hearts of Muslims is full of peace and blessings, and white represents beauty and purity in Muslim culture.

On White Friday, in addition to the large number of discounts and promotions offered by shopping malls in the Middle East, e-commerce companies in the Middle East will also hold many promotional activities on this day.

Souq Platform Activities

- In 2014, Souq.com introduced "White Friday" to the Middle East for the first time as a regional version of "Global Black Friday". This was called the "debut" of online promotions in the Middle East by the UAE media. On November 28, 2014, the UAE online retailer AiShop.com held a "Black Friday" event, and Souq also launched a "White Friday" promotion on the same day, with a discount of up to 70% that year. In this trial promotion, Souq sold 246,000 products.

-Souq's "White Friday" 2015 was held in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt from November 25 to 28. Sales were more than double that of 2014, with more than 13 million visitors and nearly 600,000 items sold. Perfumes were the most popular, followed by mobile phones, watches, cosmetics and handbags. Mobile transactions accounted for 35%. Brands such as Huawei, Samsung, Lenovo, OnePlus, Sony, Guess, Pampers and Pepsi joined Souq's White Five promotion for the first time.

-From November 23 to 26, 2016, Souq sold 1.2 million items in its White Friday promotion, with mobile transaction volume hitting a new high, accounting for 50% of its total GMV, credit card usage reaching 37%, and 4 items sold per second. Most of its 11,000 sellers participated in this shopping promotion feast.

- In 2017, Souq (now acquired by Amazon) successfully held the White Friday shopping festival, selling 2.4 million items, an increase of more than 100% year-on-year. In this promotion, Souq website will update a batch of promotional products every hour, with prices starting from 10 dirhams. It should be noted that when consumers purchase goods worth more than 100 dirhams, they can enjoy free delivery services, and even same-day delivery in core areas.

- In 2018, Souq's White Friday promotion was moved forward by one day. Souq's White Friday promotion was mainly held in the six Gulf countries and Egypt, the current largest market for traffic. About 2 million products were involved in the promotion, and 14,000 sellers around the world, including local brands and international sellers, participated in the White Friday promotion. The product discounts covered all categories, from electronic products to furniture, fashion and toys, with discounts of up to 70%. Leading brands such as Samsung, Tommy Hilfiger and Sony had more than 2 million transactions.

Other platform activities (for 2017)

During the promotion period, Mumzworld will release some products with very low prices every day.

Wadi's big sale started on the 21st and will last until the 24th. The official website was completely redesigned to be a "crazy sale" style.

During the event, Namshi will have discounts on different categories every day, and users need to enter the promotional code at checkout.

·Awork participated in the White Friday promotion for the third time. Awork released some super low-priced products for regular purchase, such as iPhone X at AED 729, Dell computer at AED 187, Samsung Note 8 at AED 699, etc.

Jollychic, during the promotion period, the discount will reach 80%, and the product price will be around Dh50.

The SheIn page turned completely black, with price cuts of up to 80%.

·Zaful, a subsidiary of Global Easy Shopping, has a promotion from Double 11 to White Friday.

Sellers’ promotional tips

1. Due to the geographical location, the climate in the Middle East is relatively hot, so summer clothes are preferred. As for shoes, locals love sandals, and they mostly wear flip-flops all year round.

2. In terms of customs, Middle Eastern people also have their own preferences for colors and numbers. In the Middle East, green is the most popular color, followed by white, gray, gold, etc., while "5" and "7" are the locals' favorite numbers, representing auspiciousness and reunion respectively.

3. There are few outdoor activities in the Middle East, which may be related to the hot weather. The main sport is swimming, and swimwear is another option. People travel mainly by private cars, and there are relatively few bicycles and electric vehicles.

4. Choose products that are small, light, and resistant to falling, which can ensure safety during transportation. At the same time, people in the Middle East also pay great attention to after-sales and shopping experience. Since most consumers choose to pay on delivery, the rejection or return rate is also high, so it is necessary to choose products with simple functions and relatively durable. Because products with complex operations can only be used better under guidance, they are not suitable for cross-border products. This can effectively avoid subsequent complaints and save high customer service costs.

5. The word "God" should not be used on product promotion and packaging, especially when shipping to more conservative countries. Cross-shaped patterns and shapes are also not allowed. The six-pointed star shape is also not allowed, because it will conflict with the pattern of the Israeli flag. In addition, there are strict regulations and restrictions on cigarettes and alcohol.