The previously American-wide tradition-gone-global, which first came to significance in Cyprus around three years ago, was seen being observed with great pomp in the island nation.
Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving and since 1952 has been known to mark the first day of USA’s shopping season.
The holiday is known for goods being sold at hefty discounts, enticing buyers to wait in lines at store entrances before embarking on a wild shopping spree. While these are mostly done in good spirit, some “fights” have been known to go to an intense level, causing violent incidents. The US alone is said to have faced 10 casualties and 111 injuries caused due to violent incidents on Black Friday sales.
That said, the situation in Cyprus is visibly calmer, partially due to the lower population and partially since discounts on goods on the island nation don’t go to as high as they do in shops in America. Leading online flyer-making and aggregating portal Portofolakis has revealed that Black Friday discount levels in Cyprus have increased alongside the numbers of participating stores from last year’s 20% to around 30-40%, this year. According to Antonis Papadopoulos, Portofolakis’ Marketing Manager, Black Friday is very much a growing tradition in Cyprus, given the entry of “standard players” like Public and Stephanis, along with newer entries from verticals like air travel. The discount shopping section is also on a rise, given the 180 offers and counting on the site’s Black Friday list this year.
Apart from Black Friday, Cyber Monday is also gaining momentum. Cyber Monday refers to the first Monday after Black Friday, where discounts are offered online.
