Malta Chamber of SMEs officially launches Black Friday

The Chamber of SMEs has officially launched Black Friday which has become a staple for the festive shopping period.

Paul Abela, the president of the Chamber, addressed a press conference on Monday stating that this year, even more so than last year, businesses will be promoting more products online. This is in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has forced businesses to further promote their services and products online and also offer delivery services.

Abela went on to explain how the Chamber met with Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci who commended the protocols and work which was being done in the retail sector. The Chamber congratulated the work of the superintendent as well as the epidemiologists who are constantly working to safeguard the public.

Abela also said that although Malta is combating a pandemic, people must follow the guidelines and abide by all the regulations as the economic wheel cannot stop turning. Without Maltese businesses contributing to the economy, the effects of the pandemic will be long lasting, he said.

These effects can be seen abroad where the United Kingdom, for example, are going to relinquish some measures for people to be able to shop for the festive period, he added.

Chief Executive officer Abigail Mamo continued the conference by providing more insight on the retail side of things. Every year the number of businesses, which form part of these Black Friday offers, increases and this year is no exception. She added that every year has seen record sales as well.

This year although there are the difficulties of the pandemic, through online sales, a longer Black Friday and the provision of delivery, sales are still expected to go up. Mamo said that this belief is supported by a government report, which says that Maltese families have saved up financially, 10 times more than last year.

This will be a contributing factor to a successful Black Friday period, she said.

Mamo said that this year 150 businesses were listed as taking part in Black Friday, comprising of more than 200 outlets which will be promoted as a whole. The list of businesses taking part can be found on the Chamber’s website. This list includes whether each individual business has online offers, delivery and much more.

Abela concluded the conference by stating that the health and safety guidelines are clear and now the responsibility to follow them falls on both the businesses and the general public.