New Delhi: TOI presents a new twist to the joy of reading and shopping with its latest initiative ‘Times Black Friday Festival’. As a concept, Black Friday has gained momentum in India in recent years where shoppers eagerly wait for mega discounts on their favorite brands. This 4-day long shopping festival that will run from 27th Nov (Black Friday) to 30th Nov (Cyber Monday) will turn the newspaper to be a go-to place for incredible shopping deals across brands.
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day in the USA and Europe when the stores open their doors early and entice the shoppers with massive one-off deals. Indian consumers have shown a growing interest in celebrating the day with shopping fervor over recent years, and brands have reciprocated the trend by presenting the biggest discounts online and offline stores. This year, TOI will present the ultimate guide to shopping safe this weekend across mega brands in gadgets, apparels, beauty products, shoes, watches, and accessories for its readers. This guide will also ensure readers are aware of all the safety measures while shopping while hunting for the best bargains online and offline. Adding to the thrill of shopping, the print publication will be peppered with QR codes and interesting trivia, which the readers can scan and win prizes from participating brands. Scanning the QR codes will take the readers to a unique site where they can enter their details and answer questions to participate in this physical shopping bonanza. The more the readers read and scan, the higher are the chances to win.
Speaking about this initiative, Partha Sinha, President, Response at Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited said, “Black Friday weekend in India is like Diwali 2.0 for brands and consumers. This extended festivity is not just about shopping, but this is about shopping smart and finding the best bargain in the town. Adding to the thrill, we are presenting the Black Friday Festival, where our readers can benefit from the best bargains and shop safely while they step out to the stores or decide to shop from the comfort of their homes. The ‘new normal’ as it is called now, has created newer opportunities and avenues for us to engage with our readers and brand partners, and this is yet another print-linked digital engagement for readers.”