The retail trade benefits from Black Friday until Christmas

310 Swiss francs is the average amount people in this country plan to spend on Christmas shopping this year. Compared to last year, this is an increase of 14 percent and a new record level, according to a survey of 400 consumers by the consulting firm EY. Another survey of 811 people commissioned by Alix Partners, on the other hand, came to a "stable budget" compared to 2017.

Action days create consumer mood

Experts interviewed by the AWP news agency believe that the now established practice of promotional days before Christmas will lead to stimulate consumption at the end of the year: "The euphoria has spread from the US to Switzerland and will also have an impact on Christmas," said Daniel Maier, analyst and retail specialist at Vontobel, for example. In the U.S., he said, there are estimates that online sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday could lead to year-on-year sales growth of around one-fifth. In Switzerland, the market research institute GfK has calculated that around a third of consumers spend an average of 300 francs on these promotion days. However, it remains to be seen whether the bargains purchased then will already be put aside for Christmas, or whether consumers will make another strong grab towards the end of the year. "We assume that a small part of the Christmas shopping already takes place on Black Friday," said a spokesman for Manor. According to GfK, however, it could be determined that targeted promotions still have an impact on consumers. For example, in the form of impulse purchases. "However, it is not possible to calculate exactly how high the share of Black Friday purchases is," the Manor spokesperson added. On balance, however, the calculation of such promotion days adds up.

Hope for strong Christmas business

However, it is doubtful that such purchasing decisions will boost sales in the long term. In the first nine months of the year, retail sales in Switzerland rose slightly by 0.3 percent. While the trend in the food sector is stable or even positive, most non-food sectors are declining, according to GfK figures. This is unlikely to change fundamentally towards the end of the year, when sales are strong: "Christmas is an opportunity for many to consume better quality products, for example more expensive meat," said a Migros spokesman. And the "in-store experience" is still generally important, despite the crowds. "Christmas is a traditional holiday and consumer behavior remains relatively constant," said competitor Coop. But hopes remain high for retailers for strong Christmas sales. Mainly because December 24 falls on a Monday, most customers have enough time again on the last weekend before the holidays to dig deep into their pockets and buy gifts and groceries. (SDA/Olivier Petitjean, AWP)