One out of two Belgians ready to shop on Black Friday

Black Friday is a commercial tradition that started in the U.S. The day is marked on the fourth Friday of November which is the day after the traditional Thanksgiving holiday.

This year six out of ten merchants are not participating in Black Friday based on the 496 merchants who were surveyed by SNI . Meanwhile, one out of two Belgians are willing to spend on this day.

According to Christine Mattheeuws, the President of SNI, “the sheer number of theme days is eating away at the profit margins of retailers, who can not deliver permanent discounts”. Such opportunities include Black Friday, Halloween and Valentines Day.

Last year, stores saw an increase in electronic payments of 19% compared to 2016, when it came to Black Friday. In 2017, Belgians spent 46% more on Black Friday compared to a normal Friday, while Europeans spent 72% more.