As an estimated €109m is to be spent in Ireland this year during Black Friday, up one third on 2014, consumers are being warned to know what they are buying and who from.
Speaking with Vincent Wall on Newstalk’s Down to Business programme, CEO of the Consumer’s Association of Ireland, Dermot Jewell warned online shoppers to “think about who you’re shopping with.”
He said some people end up paying more for their goods as they are unaware of the VAT to be paid on items purchased outside the EU. He advises those shopping online to do so within the EU using who.is, where you can check where a website is from.
Traditionally the last Friday in November and originating in the US, Black Friday is the day when retailers give discounts for one day only to shift stock and drum up hype in the lead-up to Christmas.
However, Ireland and the UK go that bit further with it being used as a promotional tool to drum up business over the week before or a whole weekend from Black Friday to Cyber Monday – the online discount day used by retailers.
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Aebhric McGibney, Director of Public and International Affairs in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce said the idea of Black Friday is a shortened way for retailers to see what products are selling in the run-up to Christmas.
He said: “It means they know what’s selling a bit ahead and can plan for that in terms of how they handle it and I think they will be discounting much more strategically this year compared to other years.”
One4All’s Michael Dawson also spoke about how gift cards work in this extended shopping period.
Listen to the discussion in full below:
Some of Ireland’s Black Friday discounters:
