Who funds Black Friday sales? A working capital guide for brokers.

Black Friday falls on 27 November this year, with Cyber Monday on 30 November. CommBank iQ data shows Australians spent $23.8 billion across the two-week Black Friday period in 2025, 19.5% more than in a typical fortnight.

But the sale is the end of the story, not the start.

For consumers, it’s about discounts, sales and grabbing a bargain. But for the businesses behind those sales, Black Friday started months ago. Because before you can sell the stock, someone has to pay for it.

Consider an importer, wholesaler or distributor preparing for peak season. They have forecast demand, placed larger orders and built up inventory so product is available when demand peaks.

If those goods are coming from overseas, Howell says, the supplier may want payment, or a substantial deposit, well before the goods reach Australia. Then come manufacturing lead times, shipping, customs, warehousing and distribution. Freight forwarders advise that stock for year-end retail often needs to ship between July and September, and factories in China close or reduce operations over Golden Week, from 1 to 7 October.

“So while consumers might think Black Friday starts when the sales go live, for the business, the cash flow cycle could have started months earlier,” says Ben Howell, Octet National Business Development Manager.

Ben uses a simple example. A client that normally carries $500,000 of inventory wants to carry $1 million heading into Black Friday and Christmas. That is potentially another $500,000 of cash tied up in stock before a single additional sale.

The timing risk doesn’t end once the stock sells. ABS data shows household spending fell in December 2025 after strong October and November trading, as consumers brought purchases forward into sales events. Deloitte’s Retail Report 2026 also found retailers rate both events less profitable than Christmas.

Several changes this year add pressure to that gap:

• Payday Super: since 1 July, employers must pay super for each payday, including for extra seasonal hours.
• Award wages: modern award minimum rates rose 4.75% from 1 July.
• Card surcharging: from 1 October, businesses can no longer surcharge eftpos, Mastercard or Visa payments.
• Fuel: Australia Post’s contract parcel fuel surcharge has been volatile this year, peaking at 19.5% in June.
• Interest rates: the Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 4.60% on 29 September.

This is where trade finance can come into the conversation. Trade finance can potentially help a business pay its suppliers, locally or internationally, without using all of its own cash upfront.

The supplier gets paid, the goods are produced or released, the business receives its stock, and the facility is repaid through the trading cycle.

So rather than a large Black Friday order draining working capital, the funding can potentially follow the transaction.

Trade finance isn't only about accessing cash. It can also give a client more leverage with suppliers.

"If your client knows they've got funding available and can pay their supplier promptly, that may put them in a stronger position to negotiate," Ben says.

That might mean better pricing on a larger order, an early-payment discount, better terms, or priority production and stock allocation during a busy period. A client who can offer to increase their order by 30% and pay earlier, in exchange for a better price, is having a very different conversation with their supplier.

If a client sells that stock to other businesses on 30, 60 or even 90-day terms, they have made the sale but are still waiting for the cash. Debtor finance can potentially fund the receivables side, just as trade finance funds the purchase side.

Ben's challenge to brokers is to go through their client book now. Who imports goods? Who wholesales or distributes products? Who carries significant inventory, has a big Christmas trading period, or could be placing larger supplier orders right now?

Then pick up the phone and ask:

• Are you carrying more stock for Black Friday and Christmas this year?
• When does your supplier need to be paid?
• How are you funding the extra inventory?
• If you could place a larger order or pay your supplier earlier, what could you negotiate?

“Your client might not call you asking for trade finance nor even realise they have a funding opportunity,” Ben says. “By the time the Black Friday signs go up, the real funding opportunity may have already passed.”

Black Friday isn’t just a retail event, it’s a working capital event.

OctetTrade lets eligible businesses pay local and international suppliers upfront, with up to 120 days to repay (up to 60 days interest-free). Each supplier is verified before payment. OctetDebtor gives businesses access to cash tied up in their receivables, with up to 85% advanced within 24 hours.