Black Friday in Spain: Skepticism dominates over bargains

Black Friday: Minimal purchases and discounts under suspicion

The Spanish Black Friday leaves a balance that fits in a shopping basket: half a kilo of mandarins, a couple of kilos of oranges, discounted oat milk, a clearance air fryer, and an automatic watch for 75 euros. Faced with the promotional avalanche from large retailers, the consumption described in this discussion is either for subsistence or occasional whims. Most respondents claim they bought nothing, while several argue that the date is a scam built on previously inflated prices. The pattern repeats: discounts that aren't real, products whose prices rise weeks before returning to their original cost during the campaign.

What was actually bought on Black Friday

The inventory is modest and very scattered. Some limit themselves to mandarins at 0.69 euros per kilo and oranges at two kilos for 1.30 euros, others buy bread, eggs, and discounted fruit, and some take home 250 milliliters of olive oil with the irony of having "splashed out." A pack of cigarettes and a lighter also appear, along with oat milk with a 40% discount and an air fryer that ended up costing 20 euros because it was an unboxed display unit.

Tech spending exists but is minority and highly calculated. A Ryzen 5900X processor for 286 euros when its launch price was around 600, a 55-inch TV bought at the same price as a week earlier, and an automatic watch with NH35 movement for 75 euros. Nothing resembling the massive spending depicted by campaigns.

Why many consider Black Friday a scam

The most repeated accusation is about manipulated pricing. The case of a laptop whose price was raised by 300 euros only to be lowered by 200 during the campaign is cited, meaning it ultimately cost 100 euros more than before. The conclusion drawn is that it's better to buy two months prior or wait until January, when stores truly clear stock. Buying during the campaign is, according to this analysis, falling for the trick.

Comparison with the United States appears as a contrast. There, it is argued, discounts are real, and companies that can't afford them at least reduce shipping costs. In Spain, the dominant perception is that the label changes but the final price does not. The date is perceived as an imported calendar without the substance justifying it.

Responsible consumption as a response: don't buy just in case

Some participants apply a simple rule: don't acquire anything you don't really need. Some promised not to buy "just in case" and kept it, while others maintain that the best offers don't come now but when stores clear stock months later. Impulse buying is identified as the true business of the campaign, not consumer savings.

The argument is reinforced by the observation that new TV boxes appear in cardboard containers. This anecdotal data feeds the thesis that part of what is bought these days ends up returned or discarded. Against this, the defended alternative is to buy when a need arises, without waiting for the promotional showcase.

Time, gym, and other purchases that aren't products

Not everything acquired has wrapping. One participant claims to have bought time: staying home doing what they wanted without buying anything. Another signed up for the gym with a free month, something they were going to do anyway. And the message opening the debate boasts saving 600 euros annually by paying monthly for a folding machine to train at home, instead of paying a gym fee.

Household savings thus creep into a conversation about consumption. Buying sports equipment, installment payments, and giving up the monthly fee function as an alternative to subscription. It's not a Black Friday bargain, but it presents itself as a rational economic decision.

The balance: little buying and much distrust

The aggregated result of this debate doesn't allow speaking of commercial success. Most responses deny any acquisition, and those confirming it speak of food, tobacco, or low-value whims. Cited discounts range from 40% on oat milk to 50% on a processor, passing through an air fryer reduced due to clearance and not the campaign.

Distrust toward the promotional mechanism is the common thread. People buy less, buy later, and buy with wariness. The unanswered question is whether this coldness responds to a price crisis, a change in habits, or simply that the Spanish consumer has learned to read the label before the discount sign. With these data, the campaign doesn't convince even those who participate in it.