In order to contribute to the identification of changes in the Portuguese consumption habits, in specific periods such as Black Friday, SIBS publishes a set of indicators and aggregated data in an infographic format, in a clear and factual manner, with comparisons with the previous year.
As can be seen in the attached infographic, and based on data from SIBS Analytics, online commerce continues to gain weight in purchases in Portugal. Last Black Friday, which took place on November 25, more than a fifth (22%) of the amount spent was on online purchases. A weight that exceeds the 18% of the value of online purchases last year and which compares with 16% and 12% in 2020 and 2019, respectively, years marked by strong restrictions related to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In line with this growth in online commerce, MB WAY continues to gain prominence and increasingly assuming itself as one of the preferred payment methods of the Portuguese. On Black Friday 2022, MB WAY was used 17.3 times more in physical purchases than in 2019 and 5.9 times more in online purchases, maintaining the growth trend it has already recorded in previous years for its convenience, simplicity and security.
In recent years, consumers have been spreading their purchase decision over the various days of Black Week (between 21 and 28 November), as the commercial campaigns related to this period have also extended over this period. In this context, the day of Black Friday 2022 registered a lower growth in the value of purchases compared to the average of the month of November when compared to the same period of the previous year (1.35 times vs. 1.5 times in 2021). Furthermore, in line with this evolution, the total amount of purchases on Black Week increased by 12% compared to last year, while on Black Friday the growth was 7%. As for the average value of the purchases, it decreased by 5.4% compared to the same period last year, from 42.7 euros to 40.4 euros.
In terms of the type of products and services purchased on Black Friday, the biggest growth continued to be in the categories of “Fashion and Accessories” (2.6 times growth compared with the daily average for November), “Beauty, Cosmetics and Perfumes” (2.1 times), “Sports equipment and Recreational Goods” (1.6 times) and “Games, Toys and Childcare Goods” (1.5 times). This year’s Top 5 included the entry of the “Home Decor” category and the exit of the “Technology” category.
At district level, it is in Coimbra, Braga and Bragança that there is the greatest growth in purchases on Black Friday compared to the average for the month of November, while the southern districts, Santarém and Portalegre are among those showing the least growth.
Other indicators considered relevant can be analyzed in the infographics below.