November 30, 2020 I Retail
Sweetwater Sees 54% Increase in Black Friday Weekend Sales
Chuck Surack
For MI online giant Sweetwater, Black Friday typically sees an increase in sales year after year, and 2020’s Black Friday was no different. Despite a global pandemic and the halting of live performances as a result, Sweetwater’s Founder and CEO Chuck Surack said Black Friday alone saw a 39% increase in sales over last year while the entire weekend was up 54% over 2019.
“We sold 3,000 guitars on Friday alone. Last year, we sold 1,470,” Surack said. “So this year, it was through the roof. We also saw high demand for audio interfaces of every size and brand.”
Overall, Sweetwater reported some two million shoppers visited its site through the weekend.
While online traffic proved strong, sales at its physical location in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was down 25% from last year — something Surack said was in line with retail industry forecasts.
“All industry trends are showing online is where it’s at this year, not just in MI but in retail in general,” Surack explained, adding that indie retailers need to focus on what they are good at — this year more than ever. “Indie dealers can’t beat Guitar Center at being Guitar Center, but they can surely do things that apply to their customers. They need to zig while we’re zagging.”
Looking at the holiday selling season as a whole, Surack is optimistic.
“We think it will be really strong right to the end of the year,” Surack said. “We are very optimistic.”
