Average spend per person set to be down from €190 last year to €170 with many people expecting better deals in post-Christmas sales
And most people think the American-imported shopping event is overrated.
The average spend per person is set to fall to €170 this year, down from €190 last year, according to a nationwide iReach Insights survey.
Despite this, the survey found that six out of 10 adults in this country plan on buying form stores and online on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Overall spending is estimated to be €422m, down €36m from last year, as the cost-of-living squeeze means many people are paring back their expenditure.
Black Friday is on the 28th of this month.
It is always the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season and is the busiest shopping day of the year in the US.
Many people are sceptical about the discounts offered.
News in 90 Seconds – 17 November 2025
Research commissioned by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the State watchdog, last year found that less than a third of consumers trust that discounts displayed by businesses are genuine.
The research also found that young people are more likely to shop in the sales, more likely to trust advertised discounts, and less likely to do research about prices which may make them vulnerable to fake discounts.
The latest iReach Insights survey found that eight out of 10 adults would prefer Irish retailers to focus on an Irish shopping event around the time of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to promote Irish retailers.
Many of those surveyed were sceptical about actually getting a good deal on either of the days. Photo: Getty
The nationwide survey, ran in October on plans to shop during this year’s upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and obtained 1,000 responses.
When asked about plans, nearly half of adults said they will make a purchase this Black Friday and Cyber Monday as they enjoy a bargain on products or goods.
Many said they will make a purchase to save money on essential items that they have been waiting to purchase.
This is highest for millennials, those aged between 25 and 34.
The main motivation is to save money on Christmas presents.
A break-down on spending amounts found that 25pc of respondents plan to spend between €50 and €100.
Some 20pc plan to spend between €151 and €200, while a similar percentage plan to spend more than €250.
A third of those surveyed said they do not plan to make a purchase say it’s because they don’t think the price reductions are enticing enough.
The researchers found that 67pc of people think that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are overrated.
More than half of adults think there are better deals to be found in the January sales compared to Black Friday sales.
Research director at iReach Insights Oisín Byrne said: “While there is a small increase of 2pc in the number of people that plan to spend this year, the average planned spend per shopper is down from €190 in 2024 to €170 in 2025, likely driven by cost of living pressures as well as a weakening expectation of actual or real savings.”
He said many people expect better deals during post-Christmas sales.
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