Pick n Pay shoppers couldn’t get enough of air fryers while Takealot shoppers wanted Coca-Cola cans.

• The Black Friday weekend is over and sales of air fryers at Pick n Pay experienced a fivefold increase compared to the same period last November.
• Takealot’s bulk shopping option, ALOT for Less, saw a 65% increase in sales by unit since last year’s Blue Dot Sale.
• The most wanted item by units on Takealot include a 24 pack of 300ml Coca-Cola cans.
• For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.

With Black Friday having left South African shoppers in a frenzy, Pick n Pay and Takealot revealed their list of the most sought-after items, including Coca-Cola cans and air fryers which continue to reign supreme.

Pick n Pay’s Air Fryers top the list for seventh year

Air fryers have, for many years, been among popular deals, and this year was no different, particularly at Pick n Pay.

According to the retailer, by the end of the Black Friday weekend, air fryer sales saw a remarkable fivefold increase in sales compared to the same period last November.

“While we predicted sustained interest in the appliance – and proactively prepared by bolstering our stock ahead of time – the demand still surpassed our expectations, underscoring the enduring appeal of air fryers among consumers,” said chief marketing officer at Pick n Pay Andrew Mills.

Pick n Pay’s other notable sought-after items from general merchandise this Black Friday include emergency rechargeable lights and computer products such as the Mecer Celeron Laptop, which retailed for R3 499.

Customers were also interested in pantry deals, kitchen and home items, including cooking oil, toilet paper, soft drinks, coffee, milk, cereal, meat, washing powder and detergents.

In the non-perishable grocery segment, items like oil, UHT milk, coffee, washing powder, and soft drinks saw huge demand and an increase in sales. Pick n Pay’s butchery lamb deal was recorded among the top sellers in the fresh groceries category.

Takealot’s Top 10 most wanted

Following the launch of their annual Blue Dot Sale on Friday, e-commerce company Takealot.com saw another record-breaking Black Friday, with customers gravitating towards household essentials like groceries.

This, according to the giant e-retailer, indicates that an appetite for luxury goods had taken a knock due to economic headwinds. The retailer also revealed that monthly essentials in the beauty, sport, and large appliances segment were among the biggest contributors to sales growth year-on-year.

Takealot’s ALOT for Less, which forms part of its bulk shopping proposition, made record-breaking growth, seeing a 65% increase in sales by unit since last year’s Blue Dot Sale.

The e-retailer also revealed that one customer spent R367 026 on one cart – the largest single basket size for the day – while the most orders by a single customer on the day was 29 orders.

Tech products weren’t so popular at Takealot this year, with only two items on the list. However, large electronic items, including TVs, laptops, smartphones, speakers, and headphones, also remained some of the most sold items by value.