Price is one of the 4 Ps in the marketing mix theory: price, product, promotion, and place (E. Jerome McCarthy, 1960). Sale is the time when you lower your price not only to boost your revenue but also to attract new customers to the shop. Sale season makes it possible for customers to acquire products that otherwise will be out of their budget, e.g. luxury items, high-end products, or something nice-to-have. As a retailer, if you use sales wisely, you can achieve much more than just increasing your revenue.

Traditional sale seasons in Denmark
Traditionally, there are two sale seasons: the winter sales start in the last week of December to the end of January and the summer sales begin at the end of June, around Sankt Hans, and the whole month of July. Larger shopping stores like Magasin and Illum have two extra midseason sales in spring and autumn.

The traditional sale season is the time for consumers to restock what they need or desire, but cannot pay full price for. If you have a retailing business and you don’t offer sales at this time, then it is likely your shop will stick out among your competitors. Some companies may misuse the perception by faking sales: raising the price and selling at the original price, labelled as the discounted price. The Danish commercial law allows retailers the freedom to set prices; it forbids fake sales.

New sale events
Danish retailers are quick to acquire new sale events, for example: Black Friday, Single Day, and Cyber Monday. Black Friday has grown so much in popularity that now it has become a mainstream sale season. In 2019, even supermarkets had Black Friday campaigns.

Sales is the time when the retailer lowers prices for cash. If you are too desperate, you may harm the business in the long term. The retail industry has already experienced a fall in visitor numbers in December sales due to Black Friday.  If you run sales too often, then the customers will get used to the discounted prices and will not turn back until the next sale.

Out-of-season sales

Usually, supermarkets run advertising for the birthday sale, or local shops celebrate the anniversary of years in business. Danes often joke about businesses that celebrate several birthdays annually. Sometimes, retailers have clearance sales (lagerudsalg), but you are never sure because they have too much stocks, or because they are dried out of cash. The occasion can be true or not, but the purpose is the same: to cash in.

Sales also send a signal to your customers, your business partners, and your competitors about the state of your business. I feel a little pain in my heart whenever I see an “Alt skal væk” sign. It is the Danish version of shop closing sales. When you see it, you know that someone’s dream gets broken; the owner gives up and the business is now bleeding to death. If you visit one locally, all you can do is buy what you can and say good luck and best wishes to the owner.