DionWired, Clicks, Sportscene and Takealot have all reportedly had problems this morning, as bargain-hunters rushed to their online stores to take advantage of Black Friday sales.
Black Friday is a US shopping tradition and marks the day when retailers move into profitable territory - the black. It is held the Friday after Thanksgiving. Although generally a bricks-and-mortar sale day, more and more online shops are getting in on the game, even though their sale day is usually the following week - Cyber Monday.
Major retailers in SA jumped on the money-making opportunity, offering online-only sales.
However, it seems the companies did not anticipate the amount of traffic their online stores would get today and have subsequently crashed, or are having trouble when the user wants to check out.
The shift to online can be pinned on South Africans becoming more comfortable with shopping online and wanting to escape the festive madness that usually encapsulates shopping malls this time of year.
The Online Retail in SA 2016 report by World Wide Worx shows a steady and continual rise in online shopping, from 1996 through to the present, and well into the future, says World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck.
On Wednesday, Sage AME executive VP Anton van Heerden said businesses need to be sure they have the capacity to serve the customers they attract. "If the Web site falls over under the weight of thousands of visitors, or delivery logistics are not up to scratch, it could do brand damage."
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