The Black Friday has long been established in Spain as a key date for consumers, who eagerly await its arrival to get a head start on Christmas shopping or simply take advantage of the discounts. Although the official date remains the last Friday of November - the day after Thanksgiving in the US - this campaign imported from the North American country has become a true commercial marathon that extends over weeks. This year, Amazon kicked off on November 20, while groups like Inditex activated their promotions on their website yesterday. This wave is joined by other already established events, such as Cyber Monday, focused on technology, or Travel Tuesday, oriented towards travel, completing an increasingly long and anticipated calendar for consumers.
The push of the campaign is reflected in the expected spending: 219 euros per person, mainly allocated to consumers' favorite categories. Clothing and footwear lead the purchasing intention at 65%, followed by electronics (43%) and small appliances (22%), according to the OCU. Although the organization estimates that this year Spaniards will slightly increase their budget compared to 2024, it still remains below the 237 euros recorded in 2023.
However, this enthusiasm coexists with growing distrust. The majority of Spaniards doubt the veracity of the discounts: 78% are suspicious of Black Friday discounts, a percentage that rises to 80% among the Generation X and 83% in the Generation Z. Nevertheless, 70% maintain their intention to make a purchase, reflecting the paradox that defines the current campaign: less credibility, but the same commercial drive. This is confirmed by the Ecommerce Study published by IAB Spain, which highlights how skepticism does not manage to curb consumer activity.
"Personally, I don't usually shop during Black Friday. I am increasingly skeptical of these types of campaigns because, even though there seem to be great discounts, many times they are not real," Marta García tells this newspaper. "Furthermore, I feel that it has almost become an obligation to make a purchase, as it is Black Friday, it seems like you have to buy no matter what, even if you don't need anything. And I am not convinced by that pressure to consume. I prefer to buy when I really need something and not because of an imposed date," explains this 22-year-old from Madrid and states that "many times, prices drop later on or during other promotions, so I don't see the need to specifically wait for Black Friday. In my case, I don't consider it as advantageous or as special as to focus my purchases on that day."
This is not an isolated case. 68% of consumers believe that prices rise in the days leading up to the event to make the discounts appear greater than they actually are. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has already warned about this practice, announcing this year the largest monitoring campaign to date. In 2024, seven companies were fined a total of 350,000 euros for inflating prices before reducing them and creating the illusion of discounts.
The Financial Users Association (Asufin) has also monitored price trends since September, and their conclusions point in the same direction: many of the supposed bargains of Black Friday do not reflect real savings. According to their data, all the most popular categories, except electronics, saw price increases in October, just before the start of the campaign. Among them, beauty (cosmetics and perfumes), fashion including footwear and sportswear, toys, home products and furniture, as well as appliances and some sports-related electronic products stand out.
The contrast between advertised prices and actual savings is significant. While promotions advertise discounts of up to 40%, the average savings for consumers barely reach 14.03% compared to September. In some categories, prices even increased compared to the previous month: beauty rose by 18.39%, fashion by 7.01%, toys by 5.06%, and fitness products by 3.36%.
The most significant price drops are concentrated in electronics and appliances, although with important nuances, they usually apply to older products, launched in 2023 or 2024, mainly to clear stock and create a sense of offer, rather than a real price adjustment. This analysis highlights a paradox that consumers must face: many of the supposed Black Friday discounts are not only smaller than advertised, but in several categories, the previous price was even inflated to make the discount seem more attractive.
This dynamic creates a curious paradox, as more than half of those planning to increase their budget (53.9%) do so precisely because they feel that "everything is more expensive" and are looking for real bargains. In other words, the desire to save ends up driving spending more than containing it.
"There are offers that are really worth it, although they are not easy to find. To come across them, you need patience, compare prices, and pay attention to details. More than an opportunity to buy impulsively, Black Friday is like a challenge for those who know how to search and analyze offers," explains Jimena Sánchez. This consumer demand is what most companies perceive. Sara Vera, Marketing and Communication Director of Fnac Spain, points out a change in habits: "Consumers are more critical, compare prices, and check reviews, but still take advantage of the dates for products they had been thinking of buying for a while. Before, Black Friday was more impulsive; now it's about planning. Customers come with their list ready and tick off products with the satisfaction of a smart purchase."