Black Friday: Key Dates and the Budget French Shoppers Are Planning

With just a few weeks left before the end of the year, Black Friday is already on the minds of retailers and households alike. The dates are now known, and a new study provides a fresh figure on the budget French shoppers plan to devote to their upcoming purchases in the shopping category. Between budget caution and growing use of digital tools to compare prices, consumer habits are shifting noticeably this year.

Dates Set for Late November

Black Friday will take place on Friday, November 27, at the heart of a sales period that now stretches over several days. “Black Week” begins as early as Monday, November 23, the extended weekend runs through Sunday the 29th, before Cyber Monday closes out the period on Monday, November 30. This structure, mirrored across several retail calendars and local-commerce websites, confirms a trend already seen in previous years: the event is no longer a single Friday of discounts but a shopping window spread over more than a week, during which retailers roll out their offers in successive waves.

For retailers, this extended timeline means keeping stock levels and offers attractive over a much longer period than a single weekend, while complying with reference-price regulations that govern discount announcements.

A Slightly Higher Budget, Still Far From Pre-Crisis Levels

According to an international study published in early October among 2,000 French consumers, the average budget planned for the Black Friday weekend stands at 151 euros per person, compared to 143 euros a year earlier. The increase remains modest and comes amid a climate in which a majority of respondents say they have felt negative economic effects in recent months.

The same survey highlights more thoughtful buying behavior than in the past:

• A significant share of shoppers fill their online cart and then deliberately wait for a price drop before completing their order.
• For many, a “good deal” is defined primarily by product quality, rather than by the size of the discount displayed alone.
• The use of digital tools to compare prices or track an offer is increasing year over year.

This trend is accompanied by growing interest in artificial intelligence applied to shopping: a notable share of respondents say they are ready to entrust at least one step of their research, or even their order, to an automated assistant — a shift already visible, since some tools now let artificial intelligence pay for an online purchase on its own, and calls are beginning to emerge for safeguards to govern these AI-driven purchases.

The Most Anticipated Categories

As in previous years, electronics and home appliances remain the categories consumers mention most often when asked what they hope to find on sale. Retailers specializing in computing and multimedia are already preparing their campaigns, in a context where replacing equipment remains an anticipated expense for many households — much like those who take advantage of the period to buy a new laptop at the best time of year.

But Black Friday is no longer limited to high-tech items: seasonal surveys show it is also increasingly used to get a head start on year-end gifts, continuing a household shopping budget that is already under strain, as shown by the increase already seen at back-to-school time in French families' spending.

How to Approach the Period Without Unpleasant Surprises

Consumer specialists recommend a few simple habits: track a product's price over several weeks rather than relying solely on the percentage shown on the day itself, set an overall budget before starting to shop, and favor retailers that follow the 30-day reference-price rule, which requires displaying the lowest price charged over the previous month — a useful benchmark for telling a genuine deal from a superficial discount.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exact date of Black Friday this year?

Black Friday is set for Friday, November 27. It falls within a Black Week that begins on November 23 and runs through Cyber Monday on Monday, November 30.

Has the average budget of French shoppers increased significantly?

The increase remains limited: according to the study cited, the average planned budget rose from 143 to 151 euros year over year, a gain of only a few euros, consistent with an economic climate still seen as uncertain by a majority of the households surveyed.

Why do some shoppers wait before completing their cart?

Some consumers deliberately fill their online cart ahead of the event, then watch for a possible further price drop before placing their order. This practice stems from heightened vigilance over displayed prices and from the now-widespread habit of comparing offers across several sites before deciding.

Sources

• ToutSurMesFinances.com — study on French shoppers' planned Black Friday budget
• Rossel Conseil Médias — Black Friday dates and stakes for local commerce
• TPEactu.fr — official dates and regulatory framework for Black Friday

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence. Editorial policy