Once upon a time, the only mention of Black Friday in Ireland was a brief flash on our TV screens of lines of people queueing in some far-flung US city for massive sales the day after Thanksgiving.
This American shopping tradition crossed the water a little over a decade ago, with many pointing the finger at some of the big internet shopping sites for kickstarting the phenomenon here.
While the roots of the Black Friday name are contentious, it started as a way for retailers to attract shoppers back into towns and cities after the US holiday and as a way to kick off Christmas spending.
There was huge hype when the tradition first crossed the Atlantic. However, research by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) released on 17 November reveals a growing mistrust in the deals on offer during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Almost two in three (63%) of over 1,000 consumers surveyed said they do not trust that the pre-sale prices or percentage discount displayed during sales are accurate. However, trust is much higher among younger age groups.
The report also highlighted the prevalence of unplanned purchases and buyer remorse. Almost 60% of those who made an unplanned purchase said they regretted it.
Another interesting finding is that close to a quarter (24%) of those surveyed said they have previously made a purchase in a sale after seeing a deal advertised by a social media influencer.
Grainne Griffin, director of communications at the CCPC (ccpc.ie) says sales like Black Friday can put consumers under pressure to make fast purchasing decisions.
Grainne Griffin, director of communications at the CCPC.
“This can often lead to people spending more than they intended or buying something that they will later regret. That’s why we strongly encourage consumers to stop and think before they rush into making a purchase. Make a list of what you need, create a budget and stick to it,” she advises.
Irish Country Living also spoke to Daragh Cassidy, head of communications with bonkers.ie who has the following tips for consumers.
Do your homework
“Be wary of the prices you see – just because something is supposedly on sale during Black Friday doesn’t mean it wasn’t on sale at a cheaper price a few weeks or months ago” says Daragh.
“Do your research. Also, don’t get caught up in the hype. Think about what you really need.”
Make a list
If you have presents you want to get for friends and family, make a list, he advises. “If there is something you planned to buy at a higher price and it’s now at a lower price – great. Something is only a bargain if you were prepared to buy it at the original higher price. And that goes for any type of sale, not just Black Friday.”
Sales tactics
Consumer law has strengthened in regards to sale items. Shops must clearly display the price of any goods that they sell without misleading consumers. When selling goods at a sale price, businesses must display the ‘prior price’, according to the CCPC. This should be the lowest price the goods were on sale for in the 30 days prior to the sale.
“The discount must be based on this price, but some retailers are still flouting the law on this, and the CCPC has been taking some retailers to task, which is good,” says Daragh.
However, he says there is nothing to stop a retailer from artificially increasing the price of an item for 30 days and then having a so-called reduction for a few days afterwards.
“That price doesn’t always represent value. So don’t get tricked by big stickers with ‘now’ or ‘now only €1,000’.”
Daragh Cassidy, head of communications at bonkers.ie.
The 24 or 72-hour rule
Don’t be rushed and try to avoid impulse purchases. “If you have an item you want to buy, think about it. If after 24 hours you still want the item, or maybe, even better, after 72 hours – go back and get it. It’s Black Friday, but the sales event now lasts over the weekend, so you do have time to think about it,” he says.
“Also, if you’re shopping online, often if you leave something in your basket and come back to it later or leave the site, you’ll be remarketed to [by the company], giving you a better offer. It’s happened to me, where I was offered another 15% off items left in my basket.”
Check the returns policy
Sometimes retailers will have different rules for sales items. “You’re still entitled to a refund or replacement or a repair as part of your statutory consumer rights if something is not of merchantable quality” says Daragh. “And a lot of the main providers do allow you to bring something back within 14 or 28 days if you simply change your mind, but that may not be the case with items on sale. Some will actually extend the returns period, but others do the exact opposite.”
Shopping online
Always buy from a reputable site and check out reviews from Trustpilot and Google Business. Check where the website is registered. If you’re shopping in the EU, you have more rights than outside it – the main one being that you can return anything within 14 days. “Revolut has a virtual card feature – so when you’re shopping online, you can create a virtual disposable card,” he says. “The card disappears [when you buy something] so that website doesn’t have your details any more. If it’s not a reputable site, yes, you may have lost the purchase, but they can’t take any more.”
Once upon a time, the only mention of Black Friday in Ireland was a brief flash on our TV screens of lines of people queueing in some far-flung US city for massive sales the day after Thanksgiving.
This American shopping tradition crossed the water a little over a decade ago, with many pointing the finger at some of the big internet shopping sites for kickstarting the phenomenon here.
While the roots of the Black Friday name are contentious, it started as a way for retailers to attract shoppers back into towns and cities after the US holiday and as a way to kick off Christmas spending.
There was huge hype when the tradition first crossed the Atlantic. However, research by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) released on 17 November reveals a growing mistrust in the deals on offer during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Almost two in three (63%) of over 1,000 consumers surveyed said they do not trust that the pre-sale prices or percentage discount displayed during sales are accurate. However, trust is much higher among younger age groups.
The report also highlighted the prevalence of unplanned purchases and buyer remorse. Almost 60% of those who made an unplanned purchase said they regretted it.
Another interesting finding is that close to a quarter (24%) of those surveyed said they have previously made a purchase in a sale after seeing a deal advertised by a social media influencer.
Grainne Griffin, director of communications at the CCPC (ccpc.ie) says sales like Black Friday can put consumers under pressure to make fast purchasing decisions.
Grainne Griffin, director of communications at the CCPC.
“This can often lead to people spending more than they intended or buying something that they will later regret. That’s why we strongly encourage consumers to stop and think before they rush into making a purchase. Make a list of what you need, create a budget and stick to it,” she advises.
Irish Country Living also spoke to Daragh Cassidy, head of communications with bonkers.ie who has the following tips for consumers.
Do your homework
“Be wary of the prices you see – just because something is supposedly on sale during Black Friday doesn’t mean it wasn’t on sale at a cheaper price a few weeks or months ago” says Daragh.
“Do your research. Also, don’t get caught up in the hype. Think about what you really need.”
Make a list
If you have presents you want to get for friends and family, make a list, he advises. “If there is something you planned to buy at a higher price and it’s now at a lower price – great. Something is only a bargain if you were prepared to buy it at the original higher price. And that goes for any type of sale, not just Black Friday.”
Sales tactics
Consumer law has strengthened in regards to sale items. Shops must clearly display the price of any goods that they sell without misleading consumers. When selling goods at a sale price, businesses must display the ‘prior price’, according to the CCPC. This should be the lowest price the goods were on sale for in the 30 days prior to the sale.
“The discount must be based on this price, but some retailers are still flouting the law on this, and the CCPC has been taking some retailers to task, which is good,” says Daragh.
However, he says there is nothing to stop a retailer from artificially increasing the price of an item for 30 days and then having a so-called reduction for a few days afterwards.
“That price doesn’t always represent value. So don’t get tricked by big stickers with ‘now’ or ‘now only €1,000’.”
Daragh Cassidy, head of communications at bonkers.ie.
The 24 or 72-hour rule
Don’t be rushed and try to avoid impulse purchases. “If you have an item you want to buy, think about it. If after 24 hours you still want the item, or maybe, even better, after 72 hours – go back and get it. It’s Black Friday, but the sales event now lasts over the weekend, so you do have time to think about it,” he says.
“Also, if you’re shopping online, often if you leave something in your basket and come back to it later or leave the site, you’ll be remarketed to [by the company], giving you a better offer. It’s happened to me, where I was offered another 15% off items left in my basket.”
Check the returns policy
Sometimes retailers will have different rules for sales items. “You’re still entitled to a refund or replacement or a repair as part of your statutory consumer rights if something is not of merchantable quality” says Daragh. “And a lot of the main providers do allow you to bring something back within 14 or 28 days if you simply change your mind, but that may not be the case with items on sale. Some will actually extend the returns period, but others do the exact opposite.”
Shopping online
Always buy from a reputable site and check out reviews from Trustpilot and Google Business. Check where the website is registered. If you’re shopping in the EU, you have more rights than outside it – the main one being that you can return anything within 14 days. “Revolut has a virtual card feature – so when you’re shopping online, you can create a virtual disposable card,” he says. “The card disappears [when you buy something] so that website doesn’t have your details any more. If it’s not a reputable site, yes, you may have lost the purchase, but they can’t take any more.”
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