Boredom and great deals are driving South Africans to the sales this year.
According to Finder.com’s Black Friday Statistics report, which polled 1 203 South African adults, 47% of then – or an estimated 18,5-million people – will shop the sales for a variety of reasons.
Twenty-nine percent of South Africans will shop because they think they’ll get a great deal, while 7% are shopping simply out of pure boredom. An additional 10% say they’ll be adding to their carts but didn’t give a specific reason why.
Men are more likely than women to shop the sales overall, with 48% of men planning to shop compared to 45% of women. They’re also more likely to be shopping out of boredom (10% men versus 5% women).
25-34 year olds are most likely to shop the sales, with 53% of people from this age group saying they’ll be making a purchase. Meanwhile just 28% of those aged 65 and over say the same.
Search volume research from Finder.com also reveals some of the most popular retailers for Black Friday sales in South Africa are Game, Makro and Takealot. South African adults also have their eye on tech products, with phones, laptops and TVs dominating the search volume results.
Finder.com’s consumer advocate Susannah Binsted says the sales are a great time to pick up items for less.
“Nearly half of the South African population are planning to shop the end of year sales this year, with many doing so to simply stave away boredom, while others are looking to take advantage of the great deals on offer.
“With people spending more time at home over the past 18 months, it’s not surprising so many people are looking to shop away their boredom. Travel and hospitality took a backseat this year, so people will be looking to have fun with their shopping to make up for lost time,” she says.
“If you’re shopping out of boredom, it’s a good idea to set and stick to a budget so you don’t go overboard. The sales can be a great time to pick up a product for less – but only if it’s something you truly need and not something you’re buying just for the sake of it.”
Of the 53% of adults choosing not to shop, 13% say it’s because they think the prices are inflated beforehand, while 7% say it’s because the sales they want aren’t discounted.