Black Friday, one of the year's most anticipated discount and sales events, is taking place on November 8 this year in Romania, although many sellers have prolonged discount campaigns. Keep reading to find out about trends, tips, and a list of sellers for this local edition of Black Friday.

The special discount day, traditionally organized on November 28 in the United States, has also been adopted in Romania for the last few years. As such, on Friday, November 8, most online stores, as well as physical stores in shopping centers, will organize special discount campaigns, and prices will be reduced for various categories of products such as home goods (home & deco), clothing, footwear, accessories, appliances, gadgets, cosmetics, services, and much more.

Consumer behavior on Black Friday 

“The rush for Black Friday promotions will be seen in categories such as food, beverages, clothing, and footwear. This year, however, there will be less emphasis on electronics and appliances, where we have already passed the peak of the classic replacement cycle, which occurs every 8-10 years, mainly seen during the pandemic," stated Adrian Negrescu, an economic consultant and manager of a financial analysis firm, for Digi24.

Nevertheless, one of the biggest sellers on Black Friday is online retailer eMAG, which specializes in electronics but offers a wide variety of products in other segments as well. According to eMAG data, one in three people shop on Black Friday to get a good deal, one in four to buy a gift, six out of ten Black Friday shoppers already know what they want to purchase in advance, one in five choose their items in the week leading up to the event, and one in two shoppers are present at the start to secure the best deals.

“People wait all year to buy the product they want. This year, we’re offering 1.5 million deals at the best prices of the year,” said Irina Pencea, General Manager of eMAG Romania and Senior VP for eMAG Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, according to Ziarul Financiar. 

This year, eMAG, Romania’s largest online retailer, aims to reach sales of RON 800 million on Black Friday, scheduled for November 8, 2024. In previous years, the online retailer achieved RON 731 million (2023) and RON 644 million (2022).

The proportion of Romanians intending to participate in Black Friday has risen to 58.2% in 2024, compared to 53.4% in 2022 and 56.8% in 2023. Customer behavior data indicates increased interest in daily-use items, such as cleaning supplies (24%), hygiene products (27%), and footwear (30%). 

Shoppers’ average budget has also increased, reaching RON 3,116 in 2024, up from RON 2,561 in 2022 and RON 2,855 in 2023.

“Black Friday is the day when online commerce surpasses offline commerce,” said CEO Tudor Manea, cited by Profit.ro. 

The discount day is popular with sellers as well. In 2023, out of 56,000 sellers on eMAG, 11,000 participated in the Black Friday campaign. This year, Irina Pencea anticipates a higher number of participating sellers. On the macro level, eMAG expects the e-commerce market in Romania to grow by 10% in 2024, reaching a value of EUR 11.7 billion. 

To assist would-be shoppers, we prepared a list of major retailers, banks, telco operators, publishers, and other sellers participating in Black Friday:

Banking 

• The Romanian branch of the Dutch bank ING is participating in this edition of Black Friday, offering special promotions on personal and mortgage loans, credit cards, and youth accounts. Customers can secure a personal loan with fixed interest rates between 4.99% and 14.99%, down from 5.99%-15.49%. For new mortgage applications or refinances, ING is offering a promotional fixed interest rate of 4.89% for the first five years, followed by a variable rate (IRCC + 2.09%).
• Libra Internet Bank launched promotional offers for Black Friday, a campaign that will take place on Friday, November 8, 2024. Only on this day, Gold cards will have a 75% discount, and operational subscriptions (intended for Corporate, SMEs, and freelancers) will be available with a 25% discount.
• Raiffeisen Bank is turning Black Friday into Yellow Friday, launching for the first time an integrated package of products and services for individual and SME clients. The campaign, titled *Yellow is the New Black, starts on November 1. Clients can access a personal loan with an interest rate starting at 6.25%, and for mortgage loans, a fixed interest rate from 4.9% for the first three years. 
• UniCredit is offering a reduced interest rate for individual clients wishing to apply for a Personal Achievements Loan. Clients opting for loan refinancing can benefit from a reduced fixed annual interest rate between 5.99% and 9.99%, potentially allowing for a lower monthly payment or additional funds for new plans. Offers can be accessed online, by accessing the offer through Mobile Banking, between November 6, 2024, at 09:00 and November 8, 2024, at 18:00.

Offers from other banks like Banca Transilvania, BCR, and CEC are also worth considering on the special discount day.

Pharmacies

• Dr. Max, which operates an extensive chain of pharmacies in Romania, is offering Black Friday discounts of up to 70% between November 8-10 online and in its locations. 
• Farmacia Tei is also offering discounts on Friday, November 8, both online and in stores.

It is also worth noting that in-store sales may be offered by many other chains of pharmacies.

Electronics

• Romania’s largest online retailer, eMAG, has prepared over 1.5 million deals, including 100,000 TVs, 500,000 small appliances, one million fashion items, 300,000 smartphones and gadgets, 100,000 laptops, 4.5 million personal care products, 700,000 home and garden products, and 100,000 refrigerators and washing machines. The retailer has also prepared over 7,000 vouchers for discounted flights (up to 45% off), 40,000 discounted hotel nights in Romania (up to 72% off), over 10 kg of gold, more than 100 tons of pork products, and 88 cars. 
• Altex, one of the largest electro-IT retailers in Romania, set its discount campaign from October 31 to November 20. The retailer promises discounts of up to 50% available in Altex and Media Galaxy physical stores, as well as online and the Altex mobile app. It also aims to ease the pressure of Black Friday shopping by ensuring sufficient stock for each of the 7 days of each stage of the campaign.
• PC Garage, a major Romanian online retailer for IT and electronics, already launched its "Early Black Friday" campaign on October 25 to avoid stock shortages or delayed deliveries. Additionally, on November 8, the main Black Friday day, PC Garage will unveil even more attractive offers, expanding options for tech enthusiasts and ensuring a broader shopping window.
• Refurbished electronics seller Flip.ro, part of the eMAG group, will hold its Black Friday campaign between November 7 and 10, offering 15,000 refurbished products.
• Flanco’s Black Friday sales began on October 25 and will stretch to November 30.

Books 

• Romanian publisher Nemira, known for its sci-fi and fantasy, but also nonfiction collections, announced a special Black Friday private sales campaign with discounts of up to 80%. Subscribers get an additional discount before purchasing their favorite books.
• Online book store Elefant is offering up to 70% on its sizable book catalog between November 5 and 8.
• Small publisher Baroque Books is holding a “Black Week” sale promising prices cut down by 50% until November 10.
• Cărturești, the well-known bookstore chain, set up its discount deals between November 7 and 10 only online. The company warns buyers of the possibility of delays in deliveries.
• Litera, a major publisher in Romania, set the start of its Black Friday sales on November 7 at 6 PM, announcing up to 90% off for 6,000 books.
• Arthur, the publisher specializing in children's books, set a Black Friday timer that counts down to November 7 at 3 PM.
• Univers, another important publisher, already began its Black Friday campaign with fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and books on parenting.
• Bookzone announced the lowest prices of the year between November 6 and 10.
• Okian also announced discounts for Black Friday.

However, most publishers and bookstores are expected to join the Black Friday sales campaign, with special packages or discounted top sellers.

Fashion

• The fashion and footwear retailer Fashion Days is holding its Black Friday event from November 4 to November 10, offering discounts of up to 80%. The company expects sales to be 15% higher than last year. Most items in the campaign will have discounts between 25% and 40%. The company expects around 319,000 orders, totaling 700,000 products, with an average cart value close to RON 500. 
• Sinsay’s Black Days campaign is taking place especially on its app, and touts discounts of up to 40%. 
• Turkish e-commerce giant Trendyol, owned by Chinese giant Alibaba, plans to persuade Romanian shoppers on Black Friday with discounts of 80% between November 5-10.
• Romanian shoe retailer epantofi.ro is running a Black Deals campaign until November 14 with prices slashed by up to 70%
• Modivo.ro promises shoppers up to 70% off up to November 14 for its clothing.
• Another name worth considering is Answear. The company is offering shoppers prices down by 70%, with an extra 20% discount in the app.
• Sportswear seller Decathlon is running its discount campaign between November 7 and 17, offering mainly clothing.
• Similarly, Hervis cut its prices by 50% until November 10.

Outside of online, shopping malls are the place to look for discounts for clothing and footwear during Black Friday in Romania, as probably most brands have prepared sales events. Accessories and jewelry stores are also expected to join the sales campaign during this period.

Mobile

• Telco giant Vodafone, a major operator in Romania, will hold its Black Friday campaign until November 15, offering discounts of up to 70% on smartphones, gadgets, and accessories, with or without subscription, along with up to 50% off on select fixed and mobile services, available for both contract and prepaid options. For business clients, Vodafone offers up to EUR 200 discounts on smartphone bundles and similar discounts on laptop packages with unlimited internet subscriptions. 
• Not to be outdone, Orange Romania already began its Black Friday discounts, offering slashed prices on phones, tables, wearables, and subscriptions. The company also offers smart home, smart tv, and wireless headphones on discount, among many others.
• Digi, the dominant internet and cable provider in Romania, is offering 50% off for its services for a year, with its Black Friday campaign stretching between November 8-9, until 2 PM on the latter.

Furniture

• Romanian furniture retailer Dedeman is holding its Black Friday campaign between November 8-17, offering discounted deals for power tools, surveillance systems, and numerous furniture pieces.
• Black Friday shoppers can also find furniture pieces on Altex's catalogue, including couches, doors, beds, carpets, and others.
• Mobila Laguna is running a prolonged Black Friday campaign on its furniture pieces on offer, with prices kept down until November 30.
• Jysk Romania is also offering discounts of up to 70% for mattresses, pillows, curtains, and many more furniture pieces.
• IKEA Romania is also discounting its prices for a series of products this month.
• DIY seller Mathaus cut its prices by 50% starting November 7.
• Brico Depot's Brico Friday brings shoppers similar discounts of around 50% for pieces designated for every room of a house.
• Mobexpert's Black Friday campaign stretches to November 24, with prices cut in half for many products.

But there’s more: online and offline pet shops, food retailers, toy stores, optics stores, photo & video shops, delivery apps, or medical providers - most (if not all) of them got ready for Black Friday, offering discounts for a wide variety of products or services.

Keeping Safe While Shopping

Black Friday brings discounts for online shoppers, but also dangers. Experts from the European Consumer Centre in Romania have offered five tips for safe online shopping:

1. Check whether the online store is secure
2. Check if the discount is real
3. Do not give in to pressure - sellers may use countdowns or warnings of limited stock
4. Choose a secure payment method - the website address should be marked with "https," and a closed padlock symbol should be displayed
5. Use legal guarantees - consumers benefit from a legal compliance guarantee of at least two years for all new or used goods purchased from a seller based in Romania or the European Union

According to Romanian legislation, during promotional periods, sellers must display both the reduced price and the original price. The discount must apply to the lowest price practiced in the last 30 days and can be expressed in absolute value or percentage.

Additionally, when shopping online, consumers have a period of 14 days to change their minds and return the product without needing to provide a reason. For purchases made from platforms outside the European Union, consumers need to be extremely cautious.

Romania’s National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) recently issued a warning regarding the increase in dangers during the Black Friday sales period as well as winter shopping. The institution notes that cybercriminals may send false SMS messages that appear to come from trusted companies. These messages contain links to fake websites created specifically to steal sensitive data.

Shoppers are also advised to be very cautious of obscure websites offering discounts of up to 80-90%, as this could be a trap. Another strategy employed by some smaller retailers is to list products on Black Friday without actually having them in stock. Subsequently, after gathering several customer orders, they procure the items, which involves a very long delivery time that could extend to several months in extreme cases. 

Care is also required when payment for products is offered in installments, as this may increase the final price and negate any discount.

Finally, Romania’s National Authority for Administration and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) advises users to pay close attention to delivery options and conditions, as well as the authenticity of information throughout the entire online purchasing process. 

Note from the editor: The decision to add these products/offers/brands was strictly editorial. This doesn't represent product placement.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: LCVA | Dreamstime.com)