Everyday low prices

Temu and Shein take away the appeal of “Black Friday”

For many customers at Temu and Shein, the whole year is "Black Friday" - there is no need to wait long for low prices.

(Bild: AP/Richard Drew)

For many customers in Germany, promotional days such as "Black Friday" are losing their relevance due to low-cost shopping portals from the Far East such as Temu and Shein. According to a survey by the price comparison portal Idealo, more than 40 percent no longer need the discount campaigns.

And this is because Asian providers entice customers with offers all year round. The representative survey of 2,000 people was carried out by the Kantar market research institute in September.

Low prices all year round
A survey by the retail research institute IFH came to a similar conclusion. Among people who are interested in Black Friday, almost one in four said that they wanted to take advantage of the promotions less often this year - because of the Asian portals.

"If other platforms offer permanently low prices all year round, the importance of super discount days like Black Friday will diminish for consumers. Why wait until the end of November when you can store cheaply at Temu and Co at any time?" said IFH Managing Director and retail expert Kai Hudetz. Price pressure is increasing significantly and it is becoming increasingly difficult for other retailers to keep up. It is particularly challenging for sectors such as fashion, accessories and furnishings.

Almost every second person wants to use "Black Friday"
For "Black Friday", which falls on November 29 this year, many retailers offer numerous products at reduced prices. In recent years, it has become common practice to lure customers with special offers in the days and weeks leading up to the event. Interest in discount campaigns is high in Germany. 46% of online shoppers want to go bargain hunting, which is three percentage points less than in 2023, according to another IFH survey conducted on behalf of the German Retail Association (HDE). Many want to use the discounts to buy Christmas presents.

In addition to the Advent Saturdays, the sales days around "Black Friday" are among the most important of the year for retailers in Germany. The HDE expects total sales of 5.9 billion euros this year. That is roughly the same as last year.

Black Friday, for which there are several possible explanations, has its origins in the USA. There, the window day after Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. In 2013, the "Black Friday" brand was trademarked in Germany.