Black Friday 2018 represented a significant evolution in the traditional shopping event, with deals and promotional activities extending beyond a single day and increasingly shifting toward online platforms. While the day after Thanksgiving, falling on November 23rd in 2018, remained the focal point, many retailers offered promotions throughout the week, including Thanksgiving Day, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. This period was characterized by a major trend toward online shopping, with Adobe Analytics reporting a record-breaking $6.22 billion in online sales, a 23.6% increase from the previous year. Major retailers with strong online presences, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, saw significant sales growth, with electronics like televisions, laptops, and smartphones being top purchases.
For consumers seeking freebies, the 2018 season offered a variety of in-store and online promotions, though many were limited to specific days or while supplies lasted. These freebies ranged from immediate giveaways like free coffee and cookies to more complex offers involving rewards or gift cards. The concept of "Black Week" became more prominent, with deals and freebies available across multiple days. Some retailers offered free after-rewards programs, which provide store credit rather than cash, but can still represent substantial savings.
Understanding the Black Friday 2018 Landscape
The 2018 Black Friday event was marked by a significant shift toward digital commerce. According to data cited in the source material, online sales reached $6.22 billion, reflecting a 23.6% year-over-year increase. This growth was attributed to increased consumer comfort and trust in online shopping platforms. The convenience of online shopping was a key driver, allowing consumers to browse and purchase deals from home. While brick-and-mortar stores remained important, the online channel saw robust activity.
The most popular categories for purchases included electronics, clothing, and toys. Retailers with a strong online footprint, including Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, were among the biggest winners of the 2018 shopping season. An emerging trend noted during this period was the rise of mobile shopping, with consumers using smartphones not only to browse deals but also to complete purchases.
Types of Freebies and Promotions Available in 2018
Black Friday 2018 featured a diverse array of promotional offers, which can be categorized into several types:
- Immediate In-Store Giveaways: These were free items distributed at store locations, often as a thank-you to early customers or as part of a pre-shopping event. Examples included free coffee and cookies, mystery gift cards, and promotional cards with variable value.
- Free After Rewards or Store Credit: Several retailers offered items that were free after receiving a full value in rewards or store credit. While not considered "actually free" by some sources due to the store credit component, these promotions could provide significant value for consumers planning to shop at those retailers.
- Scavenger Hunts and Interactive Promotions: Some retailers used gamification, such as scavenger hunts, to engage customers and distribute rewards.
- Freebies with Purchase: Certain offers required a purchase to qualify for a free item or reward.
- Extended Sale Periods: Many freebies and deals were available not just on Black Friday, but throughout the week leading up to it and extending through the weekend.
Retailer-Specific Freebie Offers in 2018
The following retailer offers were documented for the 2018 Black Friday period. Availability was often limited to specific days, times, and locations, and supplies were typically limited.
Thanksgiving Day Freebies
Several retailers offered freebies on Thanksgiving Day, which fell on November 22, 2018.
- Belk: The first 200 customers at Belk stores when doors opened at 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving received a mystery gift card valued between $5 and $500. A similar giveaway was planned for Friday morning.
- Cumberland Farms: This convenience store chain offered a free cup of coffee, hot or iced, from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on Thanksgiving at nearly 600 locations.
- Walmart: Walmart hosted a "Light Up Black Friday" pre-shopping party on Thanksgiving from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., providing free coffee and cookies. Black Friday deals began at 6 p.m. on the same day.
Black Friday and Weekend Freebies
Freebies were also available on Black Friday and through the weekend.
- Walker Furniture (Las Vegas): According to a print ad from a local paper, Walker Furniture offered free hot dogs and soda from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
- World Market: The retailer's Black Friday ad indicated that the first 100 customers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday would receive a tote bag with a $10 gift certificate. An additional promotion, the Golden Bell Scavenger Hunt, ran from November 1 to December 9. Customers who found one of five golden bells when the store opened would receive a reward of $10, $20, $25, or $50.
Free After Rewards Programs
A number of retailers offered items that were free after receiving the full value back in rewards or store credit. The source material notes that these are not considered "actual freebies" as they function more like store credit rebates rather than cash rebates. However, they can represent good deals for consumers who shop at these stores.
The retailers listed as offering one or more items free after rewards in 2018 included: * Big 5 Sporting Goods * CVS * Kmart * Office Depot/Office Max * Rite Aid * Sears
CVS was highlighted as having particularly strong opportunities when combining their rewards with other offers. Their three-day Black Friday sale (Thanksgiving through Saturday) featured 10 freebies after ExtraBucks Rewards. These deals included free gum, a roll of paper towel, a box of store-brand ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and a free 23andMe genetic DNA starter kit. For the DNA kit, the customer would pay $29.99 and receive $29.99 in ExtraBucks Rewards.
Other Notable Retailer Promotions
Ace Hardware ran a sale from now through Cyber Monday. An in-store promotion for Ace Rewards members involved giving an email to a sales associate to receive a $5 off coupon, with the credit appearing in the rewards account within two weeks. A top deal included purchasing a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Lithium Ion Hammer Drill & Impact Driver for $379 and receiving a Milwaukee Endurance M18 Lithium-Ion Circular Saw and a Milwaukee M18 Lithium-Ion LED Work Light for free.
Bass Pro Shops / Cabela’s offered free mystery promo cards for the first 250 customers at each store on November 21, 2018. These cards were valued between $10 and $500.
Considerations for Consumers
When seeking Black Friday freebies, consumers should be aware of several key factors:
- Limited Availability: Many freebies are available "while supplies last" and are often limited to the first few hundred customers. Arriving early is typically necessary to secure these offers.
- Specific Days and Times: Promotions are frequently tied to specific hours, such as the first few hours of store openings on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.
- Geographic Restrictions: Some offers, like the Walker Furniture promotion, were specific to a local market (Las Vegas in this case).
- Membership Requirements: Certain offers, like the Ace Hardware $5 coupon, required enrollment in a rewards program.
- Purchase Requirements: Some freebies are contingent on making a purchase, such as the "free after rewards" programs or mystery gift cards that require being among the first customers.
- Store Credit vs. Cash: For "free after rewards" offers, consumers receive store credit, not cash. This credit is only valuable if the consumer intends to make future purchases at that retailer.
The Evolution to "Black Week"
The 2018 Black Friday period exemplified the trend of extending the shopping event beyond a single day. The term "Black Week" was used to describe the entire period, encompassing Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Sunday, and Cyber Monday. This expansion meant that freebies and deals were available across multiple days, giving consumers more opportunities to find promotions. Separate posts for Cyber Monday freebies were also common, indicating that the promotional activity continued into the following week.
Conclusion
Black Friday 2018 offered a wide range of freebies and promotional offers, reflecting both the traditional in-store experience and the growing dominance of online shopping. Consumers could find immediate giveaways like free coffee and food, interactive promotions like scavenger hunts, and value-based offers like free items after rewards. However, securing these freebies often required early arrival, specific timing, and sometimes a purchase or membership enrollment. The event also highlighted the expansion of Black Friday into a "Black Week," providing a longer window for consumers to access deals and freebies. While many specific offers from 2018 are no longer available, the patterns and types of promotions discussed here provide a useful framework for understanding how retailers structure freebies during major shopping events.