Approximately ten years ago, large retailers such as Amazon, El Corte Inglés and MediaMarkt began to announce offers with a name in English: Black Friday. Last year, more than 80% of surveyed buyers They planned to buy on this date, and spend just over 200 euros on average. But why on this day?
Black Friday is a day of sales that is celebrated on the last Friday of November, imported from the United States, as it is the day after the traditional Thanksgiving holiday. This Friday marks the beginning of Christmas shopping, with offers in physical stores and, above all, on the Internet. The buying frenzy extends throughout the weekend, concluding with the following Monday, called Cyber Monday, focused on technological products.
But not all offers are so great. During Black Friday, some stores use unethical practices to increase their sales and take advantage of consumers’ impulse purchases. A common example is the increase in prices in the days before the event for those products that are expected to be discounted later, with which the discount offered seems more significant. This ‘false discount’ can trick buyers into believing they are getting a bigger discount, when in reality the final price is very similar to the usual one.
Additionally, some stores exaggerate the limited availability of certain products through urgent messages, such as “last items” or “limited time offer,” to stimulate impulse purchases. Although these messages may be real in some cases, they are often designed to create an artificial sense of scarcity and do not reflect the actual availability of the product.
In other stores on-line It is common for additional expense ‘drip’ tactics to be used on these dates, adding charges such as shipping, handling or even packaging at the last moment of the purchasing process. This makes the final price higher than that announced in the offer, without giving the consumer a clear view of the real cost from the beginning.
Another common practice is to inflate apparent demand through fake reviews or discounted product rankings, which can make a product seem more popular or reliable than it really is. These reviews and recommendations could come from bots or specialized companies in up to two-thirds of cases, which induce the consumer to buy products that may not offer the quality they promise.
How to avoid manipulation and save during Black Friday
The best strategy to avoid falling into any of the traps mentioned above is planning and not getting carried away by impulse, even if the offer seems very attractive. Here are some helpful tips:
- Do your research before Black Friday: before the date arrives, check the prices of the products you are interested in to later know if the discount is real. To facilitate this, use price monitoring tools such as CamelCamelCamel or Idealo, which allow you to see the evolution of the price and receive alerts if it drops.
- Don’t get carried away by FOMO: the fear of missing out on an offer, known as FOMO (fear of missing outfear of missing out), can play tricks on us. Stores use phrases like “limited offer” or “for today only” to encourage impulse buying, but remember to analyze whether you really need the product or if it is the best time to purchase it. Some studies indicate that this fear of losing the opportunity It can lead to making unnecessary purchases or spending more than planned, so stay calm and evaluate before making decisions.
- Check return and warranty policies: In some stores, these policies change during Black Friday and may impose special restrictions during this period. Also, if you are purchasing electronic products, make sure they come with a warranty and that there are no changes to the after-sales service conditions. Reading the fine print can avoid inconvenience if you decide to return the product or if you need to use the warranty.
- Make a clear budget and stick to it: before Black Friday, establish how much you are willing to spend, as offers can make you lose control and spend more than planned. Carry with you a list of what you really need to avoid falling into impulsive purchases, and remember that planning is key so that your purchases are effective and do not lead you to exceed your initial budget.
- Avoid excessive use of credit cards: deferring credit card payments can cause interest to accumulate which, in the long term, will make you pay much more, and saving on discounts will make no sense. If you decide to use a card, check the conditions of your bank to avoid additional charges.
- Check the trustworthiness of online businesses: make sure that the websites you buy from are trustworthy, and that they have security protocols such as HTTPS in the address and known payment gateways. Also check reviews from other users on sites like Trustpilot to make sure the business has a good reputation.
- Subscribe to newsletters from your favorite stores: Sometimes stores send special discounts or Black Friday ads to their subscribers, giving them early access to the best deals or providing exclusive promotional codes that aren’t always available on their websites.
- Not everything is discounted on Black Friday: some high-demand products, such as certain video game consoles or Apple devices, are usually never on sale, or have very limited sales. It is important not to assume that all products have a significant discount just because they are on sale on this date.
- Wait for Cyber Monday: the Monday after Black Friday can also offer good discounts, especially on technological products. Online stores even offer better prices on certain items this day, so if you didn’t find an attractive deal on Black Friday, you can still get a second chance.
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