What you want to know about Black Friday

Where do different sale days come from, what are the most popular products, and how discounts affect the brain. And how to avoid a buying spree.

Maximilian Jacobi and Niklaus Vontobel / ch media

Keeping your head down doesn't help. Another November is coming to an end. Once again we have a special offer. Here you can learn about the impact of Temu Online Store on Black Friday, how your brain reacts to special offers and how to protect yourself from scammers from retailers.

Where does Black Friday & Co come from?

Black Friday comes from America. The discount comes as many Americans use the Friday after Thanksgiving to buy Christmas gifts. Why he was called that is unknown. The popular explanation is: because traders are profitable on this day. Or because their hands are turning black from counting money. Or maybe it's because the consuming public has turned the streets black. In 2015, Manor became the first brick-and-mortar retailer in Switzerland to launch Black Friday.

Cyber ​​Monday also comes from the United States. It was created as online retail's response to Black Friday. It's always the Monday after Black Friday. Cyber ​​Monday spread to Switzerland via online retailers such as Amazon – even before Black Friday was established in Switzerland.

Double Eleven originated from China. It is always held on November 11-11. These four symbolize single people. It was probably first celebrated in the 1990s. A day for single students to give each other gifts. Nowadays, online stores such as Shein or Temu use Singles' Day as a day of low prices, bringing this custom from China to Switzerland.

Why are discount wars increasing?

Once a sale day is established, it can be difficult to get away from the discounts. For example, it would be advantageous for a company to sell televisions at traditional prices. But it has no idea what the game is planning. Anything is better than staring at the TV. Therefore, they would rather sell at a low price than not at all.

Manor owner Roland Armbruster also confirmed that retailers were affected by such discounts. “It is no longer possible not to offer discounts today,” he told CH Media a year ago. In 2015, Manor became the first retailer to introduce Black Friday to Switzerland. You could say department stores have created a monster.

What do consumers buy on Black Friday?

Which products become best sellers always depends on the offer. An analysis of Google keywords shows that Black Friday-related mobile phone subscriptions are being searched, as well as the phones themselves, tablets, TVs, game consoles, clothes and furniture.

This was also confirmed by Julian Zrotz, Managing Director of the special offers platform “Blackfridaydeals”. Figures so far in 2024 also show strong demand for external hard drives, headsets and half-price cards, which are available from Interdiscount.

Temu and Shein are postponing Black Friday

40% of Swiss people expect to spend less money on Black Friday this year than last year. This is the result of a survey by software company Salesforce. Research shows that widespread rising costs are destroying consumers' shopping budgets.

Temu is one of the ten most used online stores in Switzerland.Image: trapezoid

A German study also found that interest in Black Friday has declined, but there's another reason. According to a survey by the price comparison portal “Idealo”, this is also due to Chinese shopping portals such as Temu and Shein. Low prices throughout the year reduce the need for scheduled discounts in November. A survey by Cologne-based market research institute IFH also came to the same conclusion.

Cheap websites like Temu and Shein may also have an impact in this regard. Temu has been selling its products in Switzerland since 2023. In its first year, the site generated sales of CHF 350 million and became one of the ten most used online stores in Switzerland, ahead of the Migros virtual store.

Will many consumers take advantage of Black Friday?

This will vary from year to year. However, various surveys predict that sales this year will be lower than last year. According to predictions by the price comparison platform “Blackfridaydeals”, one of the reasons for this may be the weakening of competition: many retailers such as M-Electronics, Sport X, Steg, Esprit and Microspot have gone bankrupt or been sold. This reduces the pressure to launch special offers.

Other surveys also point to the Swiss' declining purchasing power. Inflation may also cause retail sales in November this year to be lower than last year.

What techniques are used in retail?

Discounts are artificially limited for a short period of time. “Come now,” the merchant seduces, “and I'll give you a discount.” Meanwhile, the customer is under pressure: “Come quickly, or you'll miss something; if you don't grab it, , you will be angry later. “Shortage of time is part of the repertoire. Sometimes, a simple reminder is enough: “While supplies last. “

Or as it's aptly called in English, “Christmas creep”: the decorations, the music, all the Christmas paraphernalia is prepared long before December. This gets customers into shopping mode as early as possible. Dull shopping is stylized as a seminal event with all the marketing noise of Black Friday, One Day and Cyber ​​Monday. This has created a kind of collective psychosis, which American experts call a herd mentality. Everything goes into stores because the hype is everywhere.

How can consumers protect themselves?

Shoppers who want to win the discount war should be aware of their shortcomings before heading to the store. When there is a bargain, the ability to act wisely is severely undermined.

Because it makes no difference whether you're snorting coke or looking for a bargain. At least Christian Elger doesn't think so. German researchers examined subjects' brain waves while they shopped online. Elger discovered that when a bargain is available, the brain releases the happy hormone dopamine. Falling prices affect us similarly to drugs. “Discounting signals work like cocaine,” he once said in an interview.

Therefore, customers have to protect themselves from themselves as they are looking for a quick shopping spree. For example, it can be helpful to write down your shopping list in advance. Then just stick to it. Another option is to consider the following before buying: What will my friends or partner say when I tell them about the purchase?

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Until recently, it was highly uncertain whether climate conferences could reach an agreement. No one is really happy with the outcome right now. Observers spoke of the minimal compromises and decisions that characterize the fossil fuel lobby. The Swiss development policy association Southern Alliance wrote that it was “very disappointing”.