German consumers remained cautious about Black Friday spending despite attractive discounts, with many stating they would stick to stricter budgets.
The annual Black Friday shopping extravaganza was considered to be a key occasion for retails industry in Germany, the largest economy in Europe.
In Berlin, stores and shopping malls were festooned with large Black Friday sale signs, some offering advertising discounts of up to 50 percent. Many German consumers said lower prices were still the main appeal of the event.
"Although it is always the case, in some stores, Black Friday deals obviously do have better prices," one consumer said.
"On Black Friday, tech products and occasionally sports equipment, which I keep an eye on, are cheaper than usual," said another consumer.
Yet inflation and rational spending habit are making German shoppers more cautious.
A survey conducted last month showed that German consumers planned to spend an average of 298 euros during this year's Black Friday period, down 7 percent compared to last year.
Meanwhile, the German Retail Federation also predicted that the sales of Black Friday season in the country will drop 2 percent year on year to 5.8 billion euros, representing a first negative growth since 2016.
"I have a bigger budget for Black Friday before having children, but the budget is tighter now. And overall, prices have gone up, so you buy fewer things for the same amount of money," said a German consumer.
"If there's a genuinely good deal, I'd definitely be tempted to buy. But I always remind myself not to make impulse purchases simply because something is inexpensive," a consumer said.
German consumers stay cautious about Black Friday spending
German consumers stay cautious about Black Friday spending
