Article

Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Poland

28.12.2023

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, known as the days of the biggest sales, have also found their place in the Polish shopping calendar. These are two days that attract crowds of consumers looking for bargain prices on a variety of products. And although the tradition of sale days in Poland is not as long as in the US, in the pre-Christmas period it ignites the imagination of many bargain hunters.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, originally associated with an American tradition, have also become popular on the Polish market in recent years. Black Friday, which always falls after Thanksgiving Day in the United States, officially appeared in Poland in 2011, while Cyber Monday, a day dedicated mainly to online shopping, started in our country in 2016.

Statistics & Trends

In recent years, there has been a steady increase in interest in Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Statistics show that more and more Poles are waiting for these days to take advantage of attractive offers. The increase in online shopping is particularly noticeable, with e-commerce platforms reporting record turnover during these days.

According to the report “Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Poland vs. Europe vs. USA”, three key purchasing strategies are emerging in this period:

1. Digital dominance – 63 percent of Black Friday transactions in Poland were carried out online.
2. Physical retail resilience – 37 percent of consumers prefer to shop in brick-and-mortar stores.
3. Hybrid shopping – combining offline and online shopping (consumers look for goods in online stores but make purchases in brick-and-mortar stores, or vice versa).

Last year, the most frequently purchased categories during these special days were fashion   (29.2 percent), home and garden (21.1 percent), electronics and smartphones (16.4 percent), children’s products, toys and games (10.4 percent), beauty and health (7.4 percent).

According to the report “Black Friday and pre-Christmas sales: consumers in Poland are preparing their wallets” prepared by Strategy& Polska, there is still a tradition of buying gifts in Poland, but more and more often we also buy for ourselves (76 percent) and in this respect we are approaching the European average (81 percent).

In 2022, the average Polish consumer spent an average of PLN 750 (approx. EUR 165) during Black Friday, which is a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Legal aspects of pricing

In Poland, there are specific legal regulations concerning the formation of prices. We are talking about the Omnibus Directive, which has been in force since January of this year, according to which an entrepreneur offering a reduction in his goods or services, next to the promotional price, should display information about the lowest price in the last 30 days. The directive aims to protect consumers from unfair practices by traders. Thanks to this, a potential customer can assess what this promotion really offers and thus be able to make an informed decision about a possible purchase.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the eyes of Poles

Poles’ opinions on Black Friday and Cyber Monday are diverse. Some consumers are looking forward to these days, seeing them as a great opportunity to save money. However, some point to over-commercialization and fear that some of the price reductions are illusory. Others are afraid that shopping on special offer deprives them of the possibility of complaining about the goods purchased.

The Omnibus Directive, which we mentioned earlier, limited the possibility of artificially inflating prices shortly before Black Friday in order to be able to give gigantic discounts afterwards. Concerns about complaints about goods are also unfounded. We can complain about any item purchased  if the defect that is the cause of the complaint was not clearly indicated the time of purchase.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are already regular elements of the shopping calendar in Poland. Customers take advantage of these days to get their dream products at discounted prices. The increase in online shopping, the development of e-commerce and legal regulations on price information make these days not only an opportunity to shop, but also a topic of discussion on commercial ethics and consumer protection.

Sources:

• Report „Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Polska vs. Europa vs. USA”
• Report „Black Friday i wyprzedaże przedświąteczne: konsumenci w Polsce szykują portfele”