With savvy shoppers expecting huge discounts, how much money do companies make on black friday retailers facing massive logistical challenges for fulfilling orders, is it really worth retailers participating? The last quarter of the calendar year — which includes the period from Black Friday to New Year — is generally the most profitable for the majority of retailers. But not all of them emerge as winners from the Black Friday selling period. The home goods retailer found that demand was high on the day itself but customers demanded deep discounting. Before and after the event, sales were flat. In a competitive retail landscape where margins are already under pressure, this is bad news for retailers hoping to make profits. The danger is that discounters are encouraging consumers to do their seasonal shopping during the discounting period, cannibalizing their own sales for the rest of the season. Insales in Great Britain increased faster in November than in December.