Russians' spending on Black Friday was 40% lower than a year ago

Russians' spending on clothing, footwear and accessories fell the most. For these purposes, the Russians spent 44.8% less than last year, writes RBC with reference to a study by SberIndex. Household appliance sales were down 30.5%, while department store purchases were down 27.5%.

Most of this year's Black Friday sales came from online channels. On this day, Russians bought 2.3 times more subscriptions to various services: music, cinemas and gaming services. However, thanks to discounts, the average check in this segment grew by only 15% - up to 351 rubles. The online segment also saw a 25% increase in apparel sales, with the average check increasing by 42% during this period. Likewise with the segment of household appliances. Although its online sales at the end of November increased slightly compared to the beginning of the month - only 7%, but the average check grew by 35%. According to the study, the Russians have probably postponed major purchases for the day of sales.

In the United States, Black Friday was more successful than in Russia. As noted by the expert bureau Adobe Analytics, this year the revenue of American stores exceeded nine billion rubles, which is 22% more than a year earlier. At the same time, store traffic was twice as low as a year ago. Americans, like Russians, this year preferred to make most of their shopping on sale day online. Moreover, jewelry and shoes were among the most popular goods during this period. Apparel sales during this period fell by half, and household goods were purchased less frequently by 39%.

We will remind, "Black Friday" was officially held on November 27, but a number of stores, in order to increase sales, announced discounts for the whole week - until November 29. Ahead of World Sale Day, the Central Bank warned Russians on how to make their online shopping safer. The Bank of Russia has warned that scammers can create clone sites of official resources of well-known brands during this period in order to lure and deceive users. The Central Bank recommended not to follow the links to pre-order the goods, but to pay for online purchases - create an electronic wallet and set a limit on the card. In addition, the regulator recommends installing a good antivirus on your computer and smartphone.