Health and beauty retailers Boots and Superdrug have both announced their “biggest” Black Friday campaigns, with discounts throughout the month of November.
Boots
Boots has kick started its sales event, with over 22,000 promotions in November and the most offers on Black Friday weekend [29 November – 02 December].
Becca Hitchings, general merchandising business unit director of Boots, said: “Black Friday is now very much a part of the Christmas trading period – or ‘golden quarter’ – rather than a separate sales event.
“With this Black Friday falling later in the month and on payday for many people, we’re expecting customers to plan their purchases to get the best prices on their big-ticket items. We also predict that customers will spend opportunistically on smaller items and ‘little luxuries’ throughout the month and over Black Friday weekend as a treat for themselves, as well as stocking filler gifts for their loved ones.”
Superdrug
From today [Wednesday 06 November], Superdrug will have deals instore and online, which feature up to 70% off a wealth of products.
Simon Comins, chief commercial officer of Superdrug, noted: “We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to shop Black Friday this year, so they can be confident they are getting the best value and promotions at Superdrug.
“We have ensured everyone has full access to our four weeks of Black Friday deals in store and online. With up to 70% off shoppers can be sure to get the best deal on the high-street.”
Both personal care giants are ranked highly in the RetailX UK Top500, Boots sitting in the Top100 and Superdrug within the Top50. The pair have also transcended the cosmetic sector as a whole.
While Boots may sit in the Top100 within the UK ranking, it a Leading retailer in the Europe Top1000. It stands out in the Europe research for the way it uses customer service to add value.
It reaches its customers and develops relationships with them through its Advantage Card loyalty club, which boasts more than 17mn active members. Some 7.5mn of those customers use its mobile app regularly, accessing the Advantage Card scheme as well as clubs that offer tailored advice and discounts to groups ranging from new parents to over-60s and students. The Advantage Card scheme offers regular online events with special discounts for loyalty card holders.
Boots has not only cornered the UK market for health and wellbeing, but is also becoming a trusted place for advertisers too. An exclusive company profile, in the Retail Media Report 2024 report, tracks Boots Media Group (BMG) work to rapidly carve out a distinct niche within retail media since its inception in 2020.
Boots may be creating new avenues in the retail media space, but Superdrug pipped its rival to the post when launching a marketplace offering. Superdrug claims to be the UK’s first high street health and beauty retailer to have a marketplace – beating Boots by a matter of weeks.
With 830 stores across the UK and Ireland, Superdrug has long championed smaller brands. Then in November 2022, it added nearly 300 brands to its third-party seller marketplace. The drive to create Superdrug Marketplace was the same as for any retailer: to rapidly expand online inventory and grow customer base as shoppers pivot to online. However, it has also been used as a means to helping promote and sell small, niche and start-up health and beauty brands.
Superdrug is also continuing to invest in its own brand offering and its store network. It has recently opened 14 new stores in key locations such as The Trafford Centre in Manchester, Brent Cross Shopping Centre and Braehead – Superdrug’s largest store in Scotland.
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