At the gates of '
Black Friday
', and before the sales in thousands of products, consumers warm up engines for what is considered the day of most consumption and spending of the year.
The
most digital campaign
of all time is expected due to the
coronavirus
crisis
, although greater austerity is expected.
The offers have been anticipated several days, even weeks, but experts warn that, in the face of the barrage of great discounts, bargains and bargains, it is convenient not to buy compulsively, watch out for false offers and minimize risks in e-commerce.
PURCHASE INTENT
Spaniards will spend 10% less on this 'Black Friday', up to 128.2 euros for the coronavirus, according to data from the latest iAhorro study on trends and purchase intention of Spaniards on Black Friday 2020. From the Organization of Consumers and Users point out that "the purchase intention may be lower than that of 2019" and foresee an average expenditure of 174 euros for those who want to buy.
Only 2% of consumers plan to spend more than 500 euros, 11% will spend between 100 and 500 euros, 9% between 51 and 100 euros and 8% will spend below 50 euros.
By age, consumers over 60 are those who plan to spend the least.
His spokesman, Enrique García, believes that "the uncertainty will weigh on demand and will counteract any effect of savings that some families have been able to acquire in these months. Today, uncertainty prevails among consumers and this is transferred to their decisions about purchase, that they are delayed and that they are going to depend on the good offers ".
MORE INFORMATION
These are the best deals for 'Black Friday'
El Corte Inglés previews 'Black Friday'
E-COMMERCE PHENOMENON
The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted internet commerce.
This year, and as a consequence of the pandemic, many chain stores encourage consumers to make their purchases through the Internet.
The restrictions due to the coronavirus will favor online commerce to the detriment of the face-to-face visit to the establishment.
"It will, therefore, be an atypical season in which we hope the best-positioned online shopping platforms will prevail," they point out from Link Securities.
According to data from Google, the forecast is that 70% of users will make their purchases through the Internet.
Online shopping figures are expected to be 15 points higher than in 2019, when 55% of Internet operations were recorded.
From iAhorro they confirm that the online channel has gained special relevance (45.4%) this Black Friday, with home delivery being the main reason why customers prefer to opt for this channel.
FALSE OFFERS
Consumer organizations warn that all that glitters is not gold and advise looking closely at prices to avoid possible abuses because great discounts are not always applied.
This has been confirmed by the OCU, which has been controlling the prices of the establishments that most stand out for their "Black Friday" offers for five years.
In 2019, only 17% of the products fell in price compared to the 29% that raised it, according to García, who also ensures that the best offers do not always coincide with the official day of 'Black Friday', which this year is celebrated on November 27 but some companies concentrate the most desirable prices two or three days before.
The general secretary of Facua, Rubén Sánchez, asks consumers to verify if what is offered to them is really an offer, especially in relation to technological products, such as computers, which this year can increase their sales due to the need it implies telecommuting or online classes;
a demand, which has caused their prices to rise in recent months.
TRUSTED WEBSITES
The experts consider it essential that the consumer minimize risks and go to trustworthy shops and websites.
"You have to monitor prices and buy in stores that give you confidence," according to Sánchez, who demands that the communities' consumer authorities, which have the power to sanction, develop protocols to track the market and be able to detect the cases in which the consumer is deceived with false discounts.
The president of the Confederation of Consumers and Users (CECU), Fernando Moner, warns of a 'Black Friday' with an "alarming" proliferation of counterfeits on the internet.
The consumer has to avoid being carried away by prices that are too low and pay attention to details, such as that the instructions and description of the item are in Spanish or, if it is an unknown website, that the information of the company that sells it is clear and facilitates various forms of payment.
BEWARE OF THE 'PHISING'
The number of fake URLs are the order of the day.
According to the latest statistics published by Webroot, a company specialized in cyber resilience, the objective is to deceive Internet users through 'phishing' attacks.
He points out, for example, that fake addresses that include the word 'Amazon' have skyrocketed in recent weeks with the proximity of the 'Black Friday' campaign, and have doubled from the 2019 data.
To avoid being a victim of a 'phishing' page, Webroot recommends keeping an eye on incoming emails and links clicked, email filtering, using strong passwords and, in the case of businesses , have a backup of the data and educate staff on cybersecurity.
RATIONALIZE SPENDING
Gustavo Samayoa, president of the Federation of Independent Consumers Users (FUCI), thinks that the pandemic has made the average consumers reflect, who continue to maintain their employment and their purchasing power, and believes that they will further rationalize their spending and take advantage of discounts to buy products they really need.
"The superfluous is left for other times," he assures.
From iAhorro they advise making a shopping list.
"A good way to control impulse purchases and then not get surprises at the end of the month would be to make a list of what we have in our wishlist for Black Friday, just like when we were little and we made a list to the Three Kings. In such a visual way you will be able to decide whether or not the expense you plan to make is acceptable and if you need everything you have put on the list ”, advises David Urbano, Imagin's Chief Marketing Officer.