An influx of Black Friday shoppers temporarily disabled a server for online fitness superstore Muscle Nation, CEO Nathaniel Anthony says, suggesting Australians are waiting for ecommerce deals in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
Muscle Nation, a workout clothing and supplements retailer and former Smart50 finalist, launched its 40% off Black Friday sale on Thursday.
More than 100,000 people visited the site at one time, Anthony said on LinkedIn, describing unprecedented customer activity.
The tidal wave of customers “completely took down the Australian server for our product management system and CMS,” he said.
“Lucky we were able to get things back up and running quite quickly and extended the deal so people didn’t miss out.”
The business claims to have doubled last year’s Black Friday sales figures — when Anthony claims to have sold 250,000 items — within four hours of the sale launching.
The Black Friday sales period, an American tradition that is now fully embedded in the Australian retail landscape, comes as rising interest rates and persistent inflation squeeze household budgets.
Adjusted for inflation, Australian household disposable incomes fell 5.1% in the year to June, according to new analysis from the Australian Financial Review.
Yet Muscle Nation’s recent sales suggest consumers are still willing to shop online, Anthony said, provided they can find a good deal.
“Never in my entire journey have I seen so much traffic on a website,” he said.
“It just shows where consumer mindset is at currently.
“People want a deal and no matter the economic conditions they will always find ways to spend during Black Friday.”
That view is backed up by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), which suggests Black Friday sales will provide a boost to retail revenue before the underlying economic strains dampen Christmas trading volumes.
“The event is renowned for having the biggest pre-Christmas bargains and this year will be no different,” ARA chief executive Paul Zahra said earlier this month.
“We’re expecting significant traffic in-store and online, with sales to reach $6.36 billion this year – an increase of $188 million on 2022.”
SmartCompany has contacted Anthony for comment.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
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