Black Friday is right around the corner. And you know what that means:
Savings! Big ones…
While Black Friday deals can be overrated, there’s no denying that people love them. Compared to the store-wide deep discounts of Boxing Week, Black Friday looks almost like a ripoff. But many of the best deals on “big ticket” items are on Black Friday, so it is a good time to go shopping for electronics, for example.
The popularity of Black Friday means that many companies stand to make money off it. You probably don’t need me to tell you that Amazon, Shopify, and Best Buy are going to make a killing off Black Friday shopping this year. They certainly will–and probably a much bigger killing than they did last year, no less. Recently, China had its own November shopping extravaganza, 11/11, and its retailers posted significant year-over-year increases in sales.
So we’re probably going to see all the big-name e-commerce companies make a lot of money. But there are some lesser-known, under-the-radar companies that will make money as well. You may not have heard about these companies, but you could make even more incremental gains from these less-known players than the big players. In this article, I will explore two such companies and how they could profit from Black Friday sales.
Cargojet
Cargojet (TSX:CJT) is a major cargo airline that specializes in shipping small overnight deliveries – the types of deliveries that tend to originate from companies like Amazon and Shopify. CJT is a huge player in e-commerce deliveries in Canada. Its stock soared in 2020 when other airlines were tanking because it saw a surge in business brought on by the e-commerce boom. Lately, things have slowed down a bit, but there’s a chance for Cargojet to make a pile of money off of Black Friday.
The easing of COVID-19 retail restrictions has contributed to revenue growth deceleration at the biggest eCommerce companies, and Cargojet stock has predictably fallen. But Black Friday is another story. It’s still a huge day for shopping and the closest comparable event in China just put out record numbers. So there is much reason for optimism here.
Lightspeed Commerce
Lightspeed Commerce (TSX:LSPD)(NYSE:LSPD) is a Canadian retail/eCommerce software developer. It develops a number of products and services, including:
- Lightspeed POS terminals, which help merchants accept payments.
- The Ecwid e-commerce platform, which is like Shopify.
- A variety of industry specific solutions.
This is exactly the type of company that could profit massively from Black Friday. It could see increased usage of its POS terminals by in-store retailers, as well as increased business from eCommerce users. Whichever way Black Friday goes (retail or online), Lightspeed makes money. So this is one under-the-radar stock to watch this coming Friday.
Foolish takeaway
Black Friday is right around the corner, and there has never been a better time to be invested in stocks that sell to consumers. Whether you like retail or e-commerce better, there are opportunities to profit this year. Heck, even airlines getting in on the action. The opportunities to profit from Black Friday are unlimited. Perhaps, then, the best Black Friday gift you can give yourself is the gift of stocks.
