Black Friday bonanza expected as spending forecast to be up [Video]

Irish bargain hunters look set to splash the cash this Black Friday with the average spend expected to far outstrip last year.

Black Friday sales shoppers are forecast to spend up to €431 this year compared to €343 in 2023.

And new research carried out by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) found women are far more likely to be on the hunt for a bargain.

However, it also found interest in both the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales has dropped ‘significantly’ since last year according to new research.

The survey found only 36% of respondents expect to make a purchase in the upcoming sales period compared to 45% last year.

There was also a distinct lack of trust in the offers with less than a third (30%) of consumers believing that discounts displayed by businesses are genuine.

The survey found time bound special offers and discounts can influence consumers into making purchases they wouldn’t normally make.

Just under half, 45%, of research respondents reported making an unplanned …