Russians think ‘Black Friday’ is a scam – survey

More than three quarters of Russians think Black Friday sales do not offer value for money, and view discounts advertised by retailers during the event as dishonest, a poll conducted by the recruiting portal SuperJob has revealed.

The research also showed that the number of those who have lost trust in the US-inspired annual shopping spree surged by nearly 25% over the past three years.

According to the survey, only 9% of those polled see Black Friday discounts as a fair reduction in price, while 76% expressed total distrust in the yellow price tags, compared to 60% who responded to the survey in 2020.

The poll found that 81% of men and 69% of women believe the Black Friday sales promotion, which commonly takes place on November 11, is dishonest.

Only one in ten respondents are planning to shop during the sales event, and 71% of those polled said that they have no intention to purchase any goods.

Those willing to shop on Black Friday are ready to spend 17,500 rubles ($188) compared to 11,500 rubles ($123) recorded in 2022. Back in 2021, an average sum spent during by a Black Friday shopper amounted to 18,500 rubles ($200).

According to the poll, three out of ten respondents are planning to buy household appliances and electronics, while 19% and 14% would like to purchases clothes and gadgets at a reduced price.

Cosmetics and shoes each received 5% of votes in the survey, while 2% of respondents said they will buy food and children’s products.

The SuperJob poll was conducted on October 26-31 among 1,600 Russian adults over the age of 18 across 375 cities, towns and villages.

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