Nordstrom, Macy’s Reign On Social Media As They Roll Out Their Black Friday Sale

Macy’s and Nordstrom are reigning supreme on Black Friday this year. Not only do both retailers have amazing deals, but they also have the most social media engagement.

Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Hollister own the top 10 list when it comes to interacting with followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Among the top retailers, Nordstrom had the most engagement on Facebook from Oct. 19, 2015 through Nov. 15, 2015, according to Engagement Labs’ eValue Tool, which measures each type of social media engagement (from tweets to Facebook posts), and the retailer’s responsiveness to customers on social media. According to a statement from Engagement Labs CEO Bryan Segal, “A retailer’s entire year is often determined in the months leading up to the holiday season.”

Nordstrom received an overall score of 93.11 out of 100, by receiving over 90,000 followers during that time period and generating over 381 likes per every 1,000 fans.

Macy’s ruled on Twitter, with its score of 89.06, thanks to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The topic trended all day on Thanksgiving Day, especially since the parade aired twice on NBC. The retailer also scored high for its responsiveness, in which its Twitter account takes an average of 26 minutes to respond to inquiries. Nordstrom received a score of 88.82 on Twitter, due its high level of responsiveness, in which its account administrative assistants respond to 3,000 customers in an average response time of 17 minutes.

Despite dominating social media, Segal added that the retailer’s social media success hasn’t translated well into in-store conversions.

“With social media focusing on visuals, it’s no surprise these clothing brands are doing well on social. …Instead we’re seeing retailers like Costco, Amazon and Kroger taking top spots for word of mouth sentiment, as they offer a wide-range of products that are driving conversions.”

Here are the top 10 retailers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

1. Nordstrom
2. Publix
3. Meijer
4. Belk
5. CVS
6. Kohl’s
7. Hollister Co.
8. Macy’s
9. Bed Bath & Beyond
10. Lowe’s

The heavy social media engagement is intended, in part, to help Nordstrom and Macy’s rake in sales on Black Friday. Though Nordstrom was not opened on Thanksgiving Day, its website did offer all of its Black Friday deals online. The retailer is offering an additional 25 percent off of select merchandise, along with its 40 percent off designer clearance. Meanwhile, Macy’s opened on Thanksgiving and it plans to stay that way. That’s how CEO Terry Lungden spent his holiday, according to a report via The Street.

“Consumers [have] spoken and said ‘I’m going to shop whether you’re open or not because the Internet is open all the time – so I’m going to shop on Thanksgiving evening.”

Macy’s opened its doors at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day this year and last year, two hours earlier than on Black Friday in 2013. Back in 2012, the retailer started to get into the Black Friday spirit when it opened its doors at midnight. In addition, Macy’s hired 85,000 workers for the holiday season, although the company doesn’t require their workers to work on the holiday like rival J.C. Penney, which opened its doors at 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

“We have the luxury of saying, ‘if you’d like to work [on Thanksgiving Day] great, if not that’s okay too.”

Lungden revealed that business at Macy’s on Black Friday hasn’t improved greatly from last year, but with Thursday’s strong opening, there has been a “clear change” in the kick-off of the holiday shopping season, creating some optimism for the rest of the year. Some of the best-selling items at Macy’s include active wear, handbags by Michael Kors, FitBit, Samsung smartwatches, and Charter Club cashmere sweaters, according to Lundgen.

If you don’t want to venture out to the stores on this busy Black Friday, then you can shop Macy’s online. The retailer is offering doorbuster deals on its website from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. Macy’s also has free shipping on orders over $50, along with an extra 20 percent off shopping pass. Other deals include 25 percent off Nike, and a $20 off savings pass on your next purchase of $50 or more.

Macy’s will stay open on Black Friday until midnight. It’s expected to be the largest volume period for the retailer. For the third quarter, Macy’s net sales dipped down to 5.2 percent. In addition, Macy’s will also offer deep discounts on its Cyber Monday sale, especially on beauty products, comforters, and other home fashions.

Are you planning to shop at Macy’s on Black Friday? Or, you will snag some of the deals on the Nordstrom site instead? Sound off below in the comments section.

[Photo Courtesy of Beyond My Ken via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and Resized | CC BY-SA 2.0]