The power outage on Black Friday hits when your store, DC, or cold room is operating at full capacity. In 2026, the date falls on Friday, 11/27, and the risk continues during the holidays and summer storms.
An hour without power on this day adds up to lost sales, discarded inventory, and delivery penalties. Follow along to learn about the standby generator and complete your company’s checklist.
Why is November a risky month for power?
November is a risky month because it combines the Black Friday sales peak with heat and storms.
Three factors put pressure on the grid and your operation at this time:
- On Black Friday, your store or DC runs registers, systems, conveyors, and refrigeration together for more hours.
- The heat increases air conditioning use and makes compressors in cold rooms and counters work harder.
- According to Inmet, the rainy season in the Southeast runs from October to March and covers Black Friday.
On 11/13/2023, a heatwave pushed the country’s energy demand above 100,000 MW.
According to Agência Brasil, it was the first time the national power system surpassed this mark.
Ten days earlier, on 11/3/2023, a storm left over 2.1 million consumers without power in Greater São Paulo.
A power outage on Black Friday hits your store or DC on the busiest day.
What factors into the cost of downtime on Black Friday?
An hour of downtime due to a blackout on Black Friday results in losses across various areas of your business.
You arrive at your operation’s number by adding these items:
- Calculate the sales that didn’t happen based on the revenue from the same hour on the previous Black Friday.
- Include lost inventory, such as perishables discarded when the cold room or counter warms up.
- Check the late delivery penalties that your contracts with customers and marketplaces provide for.
- Add the overtime for the team that stays after the shift to sort and dispatch the delayed items.
- Add up the repair of equipment damaged by power surges during the outage.
- Think about the customer who abandoned the cart in line and completed the purchase at another store.
With this total, you compare the downtime with the cost of renting the generator. To calculate step by step, read how much an hour without power costs your company.
In the supermarket, the bill includes meats and frozen goods, and the rental of generators for supermarkets covers refrigeration and registers.
In the distribution center, halted dispatch turns into late penalties and overtime for the team.
The rental of generators for logistics warehouses keeps conveyors and docks running during the outage.
How does the standby generator take over the operation?
The standby generator remains on reserve and takes over your operation in the event of a network failure or scheduled shutdown.
It is connected to the site’s electrical system through an automatic transfer switch, the ATS.
The ATS functions as a monitor of the electrical panel, detecting the failure and transferring the load in seconds.
This quick switch also protects sensitive equipment against power surges and abrupt shutdowns.
Automatic transfer requires the installation of an ATS, according to the project and commercial proposal of your operation.
You can find the models and operation of the equipment on our page of standby generator.
Who determines the generator size?
Our engineering team calculates the power at no cost before the proposal, based on what you need to keep running.
This power in kVA, the rental period, the fuel, and the transportation form the cost of your project.
Who monitors the generator during the contract?
During the rental, the telemetry monitors the equipment and our on-call service is available 24 hours.
Before that, our own logistics deliver the generator to your address, install it, and perform the load test.
To see the generator for store, supermarket, mall, and DC, visit the Black Friday power generator page.
Is your operation ready for Black Friday?
To know if your operation is ready for Black Friday, check these items before 11/27:
- List the equipment that cannot be turned off, such as registers, servers, conveyors, and cold rooms.
- Separate what needs to be restarted in seconds from what can wait for the street power to return.
- Request our engineering team to calculate the power, done at no cost before the proposal.
- Check with building maintenance where on the electrical panel the ATS will be installed.
- Choose the generator location, with free access for the truck that delivers and installs it.
- Schedule the installation and load test for before the Black Friday week.
- Check if the servers and checkout computers have UPS to cover the seconds of the switch.
- Define who from your team calls our on-call service at 0800 772 1601, during each shift.
- Simulate a power outage with the operation closed and note what turned off and what came back on.
- Coordinate with the consultant how long the generator stays in your operation.
To test the generator and transfer before the day, see how to perform the electrical contingency plan test.
Our energy contingency plan guide shows the steps to prepare your company all year round.
Campaign summary regulations
Those who sign a generator rental contract from 10/16 to 11/30/2026 have special conditions on Black Friday No Blackout.
Before closing the contract, check the points of the summary regulations:
- Our consultant defines the conditions according to the project, the term, and the service region of your company.
- They do not add up to other conditions or existing contracts.
- The contract is subject to credit analysis and equipment availability.
- For automatic transfer, it is necessary to install a QTA, according to the project and commercial proposal.
On the Black Friday No Blackout page, you can read the full regulations and speak with a consultant.
Frequently asked questions
What to do in case of a power outage on Black Friday?
Call our hotline at 0800 772 1601 and provide the address and what needs to be operational again. Our team will recommend the emergency generator that suits your operation.
How long does it take for the generator to kick in when the power goes out?
With the QTA installed, the generator takes over the load within seconds after the grid fails. Automatic transfer requires the installation of the panel, according to the project and commercial proposal.
What is the generator power for my company?
The power depends on what you want to keep running during the outage, such as registers, refrigeration, conveyors, and lighting. Our engineering team will recommend the size from a fleet that starts with models up to 100 kVA and exceeds 1,400 kVA.
How long can I rent the generator?
The period is defined with our consultant in the proposal, and the rental time is included in the price. After Black Friday, the generator can continue for parties and summer rains.
