Irish consumers set to spend big on Black Friday sales

Black Friday may be a relatively new phenomenon in Ireland but several forecasts indicate that Irish consumers have firmly embraced it with many planning to pick up bargains this week.

Online auction website Ebay estimates that one-third of Irish people plan to shop during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.

Overall, it predicts that 1.1 million people here will spend a combined €142 million this weekend.

Separately, PwC estimates that 33 per cent of consumers will be shopping during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday period with nearly one-third of these using the sales to buy up to half of their Christmas gifts.

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An estimated 62 per cent of the shopping will be done online with many consumers already having researched what they plan to buy.

According to PwC, which canvassed the views of 1,000 consumers here, the average spend over the weekend will be €251 per person. Some 20 per cent of respondents said they had no interest in the sales.

Black Friday, which comes the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in America, with Cyber Monday following a few days later.

Christmas presents

Online retailers typically offer discounts on goods during the period as they seek to encourage consumers to splash out early on presents ahead of Christmas Day.

The Black Friday shopping phenomenon has in recent years spread globally with Irish shoppers among the most enthusiastic consumers.

Revenue here has reminded shoppers they should be aware that while the cost of goods advertised online can seem attractively low, this may be because tax and duty has not been included in the advertised price.

It warned consumers they may be liable for additional unanticipated charges when goods arrive locally.

Revenue officers last year applied charges to more than 92,000 parcels and packets that were sent here with the average cost per parcel totalling €67.60.

“Almost all goods arriving from non-EU countries will be liable to tax and duty, and so online shoppers should make sure to check whether the advertised price includes this additional cost before they make their decision to buy the goods concerned,” Maureen Dalton, a principal officer in Revenue’s customs division, said.