Big W kicked off their annual toy sale yesterday with some massive discounts including claims of up to 50% off some LEGO, Barbie, NERF, Bluey, Disney, Marvel and more.
Their goals here are to drive traffic in a usually quiet time for retail, and to capture early Christmas shoppers.
Given the reach of the Big W marketing spend across a range of media, including a strong social media presence, the toy sale presents a challenge to indie retailers in the toy space.
I think this is what the back half of 2022 looks like: big retailers promotive massive sales. Advertising discounts is the only tool they seem to know.
At local indie retailer level there are smarter moves we can make. For example, offering genuine in-store experiences, safe LayBy, Christmas wrapping parties, special orders, local delivery and more.
It is easy to get caught up in a price fight. The thing is though, local indie retailers done;t win from a price fight. Discounting is a no-win situation.
If you sell products that compete with mass retailers, the next few months will be challenging. The more you play away from their red ocean the better.