With a ten-day offer that has already startedthe retailer will try to warm up the market which under the weight of inflationary pressures is frozen, giving consumers the opportunity to shop for a wide range of categories at much better prices.

In the same logic, many businesses have started for several days the advertising of Black Friday, which this year is on Friday, November 24, a month before Christmas, but also of Cyber ​​Monday, on Monday, November 27.

Technology products are at the cutting edge of the offerings, with electrical and electronics chains leading the way in promotions, offering consumers, among other things, flexible payment solutions.

Intensive advertising campaigns have also been launched by home equipment chains, while thousands of small shops that sell through marketplaces are expecting a further boost in their sales.

Properly preparing the ground, many commercial enterprises throw themselves into the battle of offers with pre-orders as well as offers both through the digital channel and through physical stores with the aim of liquidating seasonal products and “filling their coffers”.

Speaking to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, Makis Savvidis, vice-president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and vice-president of GRECA, expresses moderate optimism for commercial activity, as he notes that the consumer is very stressed with limited disposable income, which he consumes mainly in basic necessities . However, commercial enterprises, according to him, are preparing to offer the best prices in order to strengthen their coffers and move towards the Christmas season, which is also the most critical of the year.

E-commerce moves at the same pace as physical trade.

According to Mr. Savvidis, 90% of electronic stores are extensions of analog stores and the vast majority of these businesses operate with a single price (electronic and analog).

According to him, e-commerce is constantly gaining ground and getting stronger.

More and more businesses are entering this channel and more and more consumers are trusting online sales.

In any case, according to Mr. Savvidis, the consumer is now very informed and before completing a purchase he investigates very carefully both online and in physical stores and is aware of the price level of the products he is looking for.

“A permanent advice given by the Athens Chamber of Commerce to the consumer during the period of offers and discounts is the necessary market research on the items that interest him in order to secure a purchase at the best price. When it comes to online shopping, the safest way to pay is always the credit card that protects against any kind of irregularity.”

Consumers are in a positive mood

At the same time, consumers, with limited disposable income and in the midst of inflationary pressures, are conservatively meeting their needs, yet they are willing to take advantage of the Black Friday shopping event and look for the most competitive prices in stores for their purchases.

It is characteristic that the results of the IOBE economic situation survey for October show a significant increase in the intention for major purchases. In particular, consumers’ intention for major purchases in the next 12 months (furniture, electrical appliances, etc.) improved significantly with the relative index standing at -39 (from -47.6) points. 51% (up from 59%) of consumers predicted they would spend less or much less, while 8% (up from 5%) expected the opposite.

However, the forecasts for the financial situation of households are more pessimistic. Specifically, consumers’ forecasts for the financial situation of their household, in the next 12 months, fell marginally in October, with the relative index standing at -42.9 (from -42.4) points in September.

58% (out of 60%) of households expect a slight or noticeable deterioration in their financial situation, while 8% (out of 5%) foresee a slight improvement. Also, the index of the intention to save in the next 12 months strengthened slightly in October and stood at -61.7 points (from -63.8). 81% of households do not consider saving possible in the next 12 months, while 16% consider it possible or very likely.

The positive index for forecasts of price changes over the next 12 months strengthened further in October and stood at +42.1 points, compared to +33.6 points in September.

66% (up from 60%) of households expected prices to rise at the same or faster rate and 11% (up from 10%) expected stability.

Regarding estimates of the current household financial situation, the percentage of consumers who say they are “just getting by” rose to 59%, while the percentage of those who say they are drawing on their savings fell to 12% from 14%.

Consumers who said they save a little or a lot make up 20% of the total, while the percentage of those who said they are “in debt” was 8%. In the question that assesses the degree of uncertainty of households regarding future economic developments, 59% considered in October that their economic situation can be predicted with difficulty or relatively difficult, slightly higher than the previous month when it stood at 52%.