How Black Friday works The crazy journey of a bargain to your doorstep

What actually happens before and after we click on "Buy" on Black Friday? blue News uses the example of a tablet to show how much logistics, negotiation and psychology go into a bargain.

On your marks, get set, go: the biggest bargain hunt of the year begins. Since Monday - the start of Black Week - the internet and our heads have been filled daily with flashing discount signs, overflowing shopping baskets and the sudden conviction that we need an Airfryer upgrade or an absurdly loud soundbar right now.

But what actually happens behind the scenes as soon as we click on "Buy"? What stages does a product go through before it arrives at our homes?

We show the journey of a Black Friday deal using the example of a tablet from Swiss online retailer Brack. It begins months before we are tempted by the unbeatable offer.

Black Friday planning at Brack starts early in the year. "From the second quarter (i.e. April to June, editor's note), we gradually focus more and more intensively on the question: What do we want to offer during Black Week?", says Tobias Gruener, Chief Commercial Officer at Brack.Alltron, to blue News.

Are there any new trends in the market? What was particularly popular last season? These are the questions that Gruener discusses with his team during this phase: "Our aim is to put together an overall range that is as interesting as possible for our customers."

Depending on the season, there are products that are more or less popular on Black Friday. At the end of November, for example, demand for swimming trunks or rubber boats is limited. On the other hand, there are perennial favorites that are in demand all year round. These include electronic products such as televisions, smartphones and tablets. It is therefore not surprising that products from this segment are among the Black Friday classics par excellence.

Once the Brack team has decided that our tablet should be included in the Black Week offer, one of the most central phases in the whole process begins: Negotiating with the manufacturers. The small and large tech companies also have their own ideas as to which products should be included in the retailers' bargain range.

And not all tablets are the same. There are also several sub-variants within the respective main models. Brack and the manufacturer negotiate with each other as to which models will be discounted and whether they will be discounted at all. It may well be that their ideas are far apart. "Then it comes to a mutual challenge," explains Tobias Gruener - until a compromise is found.

Something magical happens on Black Friday: suddenly everything costs almost nothing - at least that's how it feels. Why is our tablet only so cheap this week and not all the time? And how can this still be profitable for the retailer? Here too, Brack negotiates the price directly with the manufacturers.

"It's not like we sit down as a team and say: We're going to give a 30% discount on this tablet," explains Gruener. "We can't afford that either." The aim is to find a margin with the manufacturer where a sale is still worthwhile for both parties - especially as discounts are usually significantly higher during Black Week than during the rest of the year. In order to be able to grant the large discounts, Brack also pays less than usual for the purchase price.

"Negotiations then determine what quantities and discounts can be achieved," says Gruener.

The tablet model has been selected and the price negotiations have been concluded. Now several processes start running in parallel.

Marketing prepares campaigns, defines messages and produces social media teasers. In other departments, the promotional items are procured in good time, stock levels are secured and delivery deadlines are agreed with partners. "Of course, we can't suddenly have 2,000 trucks parked outside our logistics center on Monday at the start of Black Week," says Gruener.

When the delivery of tablets arrives is planned weeks in advance. In terms of quantity, the online retailer can draw on experience from previous years.

Brack is ready. Now we come into play. On Black Friday, we browse through the discounts for our desired products - and come across the cheap tablet. It's in the shopping cart and officially ordered a few seconds later.

Our click has triggered a whole machine in the background. During Black Week, the Brack logistics center in Willisau LU is a hive of activity. "Up to and including Christmas, we are increasing our staff by almost 150 people," says Thomas Gasser, Chief Operations Officer.

When goods are received, the delivery is checked with our tablet, then recorded in the system and stored in various picking zones using conveyor belts. During Black Week, our tablet has long since been stowed away in the warehouse: "All the products that we offer at a discount are on site in Willisau," says Gasser.

It hums and rattles non-stop. Everywhere, parcels whizz at high speed on conveyor belts from one station in the ordering process to the next. Thomas Gasser compares it to a highway. "The great achievement here is that our employees don't have to travel any kilometers to transport or search for the goods."

Brack's logistics center is one of the most modern in Switzerland. At its heart is the so-called Autostore: over 500 robots that pick out products for orders.

In our example, a robot grabs the box of tablets and takes them directly to the employee who puts our order into the package.

Despite increasing automation, the majority of packing is still done by humans. However, they are also supported by futuristic-looking technology: so-called data glasses.

"With these, the employees see a display in their field of vision that guides them and shows them the next order," explains Gasser. They can interact with the system using their voice. The result of these data glasses with voice recognition is a significant increase in efficiency.

However, the parcel with our tablet inside is folded and closed by a machine again. The same applies to labeling.

Humans and robots work side by side here. At first, the staff were skeptical about automated help, "but today the robots are more or less regarded as employees," says Gasser.

Only a few hours have passed since our click - and the tablet is already being loaded onto a Swiss Post truck at the outgoing goods department. It is by no means the only parcel that has to travel. Thomas Gasser calls the loaders "Tetris players", who make use of every square centimetre here.

Brack's aim is always to deliver the order the following day. "During Black Week, however, it can sometimes take two days," says Gasser. Customers understand this.

And then it's on our doorstep, our parcel with the tablet. A short time later, it is unpacked and in use. Will we regret the purchase at some point? Or do we enjoy it every day? We don't know yet. One thing is certain: behind every bargain are precise calculations, tough negotiations and a lot of work.

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