- 6 in 10 Romanians intend to make purchases on Black Friday 2022
- Nearly 6 in 10 consumers (58%) intend to buy electronics and home appliances
- 38% intend to purchase Fashion items, while 34% intend to buy IT&C products
- The majority of respondents (86%) will shop for Black Friday from online stores in Romania
Top Product Categories for Black Friday 2022
According to data provided by MKOR Consulting through the Black Friday Shopping in 2022 consumer study, 6 in 10 Romanians intend to purchase at least one product or service on this occasion.
Fashion items top the list for Generation Z shoppers (48%), while electronics and home appliances are the top priority for other age segments.
IT&C products are primarily targeted by high-income consumers.
Beyond the main categories, parents and Millennials will also look for deals on Toys and children’s products. Cosmetics and personal care products are of interest to Gen Z and high-income consumers.
Consumer Segments Intending to Shop on Black Friday
More than half of respondents have already made plans for November sales. Young consumers (Generation Z and Millennials, 71%), high-income individuals (>5,000 RON) and parents (68%) show a stronger interest in Black Friday deals.
Added to those already decided are a significant share of undecided shoppers (32%), who can be attracted by retailers primarily through the size of the discount offered — ideally 50%. Customer reviews and recommendations from family or friends can also influence the purchase decision.
The findings confirm the high appetite of consumers for promotions in general, a behavior increasingly adopted in the current economic context. Over the past 6 months, 78% of consumers say they have searched more actively for discounted products — a preference most prominent among Millennials, low-income consumers and parents (83%).
Motivations Behind Black Friday 2022 Purchase Intent
- 6 in 10 will purchase products or services they have had their eye on for a long time, at better prices
- 1 in 3 will buy discounted products or services on Black Friday out of habit
- 30% will use Black Friday to purchase Christmas gifts
Even though the majority of respondents are concerned about inflation (79%) and the high cost of living (64%), they plan to take advantage of the Black Friday sales period to purchase desired products.
Consumers are primarily hunting for deals on products they have been following for a long time or Christmas gifts.
For low-income consumers, Black Friday is a good opportunity to purchase products they would not otherwise be able to afford. And 1 in 3 Romanians who intend to shop the Black Friday sales do so because they habitually buy on promotion — not just on this occasion.
A relevant finding from the study data is that despite rising prices, stockpiling is not a priority for consumers. The motivations behind Black Friday shopping can be better understood in the context of the behavioral shifts consumers have made recently.
Over the Past 6 Months, Consumers Have Shifted Toward More Affordable Brands and Products
Beyond the heightened interest in promotions, over the past 6 months more than half of consumers have shifted toward more affordable brand and product options. Millennials and low-income consumers were most likely to seek cheaper alternatives (approximately 7 in 10 Romanians).
Shoppers have also paid attention to the quantity of products purchased, with more than half reducing it. Low-income consumers and Generation X made the greatest adjustments to the size of their shopping basket (in volume terms).
This trend is further confirmed by the low interest of Romanians in stockpiling everyday products. Only 1 in 3 consumers stock up beyond their immediate needs for FMCG products. Exceptions are Millennials (40%), low-income consumers and parents (39%).
The shift in shopping priorities has been accompanied by greater awareness of the available product and service options in general.
Preferred Shopping Channel for Black Friday
The majority of consumers (86%) will shop for Black Friday from online stores in Romania, maintaining their preference for e-commerce. However, nearly half of respondents also expressed an intention to shop at physical stores in the country during this period.
Factors Influencing the Budget Allocated for Black Friday Purchases
The majority of shoppers (80%) do not have a fixed budget, and will allocate spending based on the deals they find.
Those who already know how much they plan to spend this Black Friday were guided primarily by their available financial resources (7 in 10), as well as external factors such as the price of the products they wish to buy (52%) or the current economic climate (25%).
Information Channels for Black Friday Deals
- More than half of Romanians (59%) learn about Black Friday deals through retailer mobile apps
- 53% of consumers use social media channels as their main source of information for Black Friday deals
- 47% search for Black Friday deal information via search engines
- 44% look for promotion details directly on brand websites or in marketplaces
- Nearly 1 in 4 (23%) people learn about Black Friday promotions from brand newsletters
The online environment is also preferred when it comes to searching for information about available Black Friday deals.
Generation Z and high-income consumers use retailer mobile apps the most (68% and 74% respectively).
A significant segment (22%) of Baby Boomers rely on recommendations from friends or family as their source for learning about Black Friday deals this year.
Low-income consumers prefer social networks when seeking information about Black Friday deals.
Study Methodology
Data is drawn from the Black Friday Shopping in 2022 study, conducted by MKOR Consulting through the MKOR Consumer Panel.
- Sample: N=530 respondents, nationally representative by gender, age, and geographic distribution
- Target: general population, aged 18–65
- Research method: survey (CAWI)
- Research instrument: questionnaire
- Approach: online, via the proprietary MKOR Consumer Panel
- Period: November 2022
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