Black Friday, average expenditure of 220 euro (more than France and Spain)

Above the European average, with an average expenditure of around 220 euros against the 180 of the Spanish and French. Italians seem to have been hit by Black Friday fever while in other markets consumers seem a little cooler towards the date. 86 per cent of Italians against 80 per cent of Europeans are waiting and thinking about gifts, allocating a budget of just over a fifth. This is revealed by an analysis by Scalapay, the Italian fintech leader in Europe in Buy Now Pay Later (Bnpl) with just over 10 million users in Southern Europe.

According to data from Scalapay, 11% of Italian consumers plan to spend more on Black Friday 2024, 52% around the same amount, 26% less and only 10% have not yet decided. In France, the outlook is less positive with 9% planning to increase their budget and 14% planning to decrease it. In contrast, Spain: 14% of the sample will spend more but without reaching the Italian amounts.

"One lever of the success of Black Friday is based on trust: 73% of Italian users said they trust the discounted prices proposed by companies and when this trust is also supported by a flexible and transparent payment offer, the consumer has all the tools to be able to better manage their purchase," comments Simone Mancini, CEO of Scalapay. "Today 42%, of future Black Friday 2025 customers plan to pay for their purchases in instalments, many through Bnpl especially for smaller amounts. The significant drop in the ability to save for the under-40s,' adds Mancini, 'is changing spending habits: in a context where flexibility counts more than speed or service, solutions such as Scalapay give freedom and control back to the younger generations in particular, offering fair access to consumption even without traditional credit.

In Italy, the average spend per order is the highest in the sample, it was EUR 218 in 2024, and is on average for 2.4 items. In France, the behaviour is more cautious with a lower average spend, with 170 euros in 2024, and only 29% of consumers say they really trust Black Friday promotions. In Spain the average spend was EUR 164 during the last Black Friday, with 53% trusting the authenticity of the discounts. The leading product categories are technology, fashion, cosmetics and travel, with an increasing focus on perceived value and promotions extending beyond the weekend. "Three different markets - continues the CEO - tell a European trend where Black Friday evolves from event to season, in which consumers are increasingly informed, selective and oriented towards the real value of offers: 'Black Friday' has always been the day with the highest number of purchases (26% in 2024), while today Sunday and Monday to follow (Cyber Monday) are equally relevant moments".

Above all, the timing of the shopping experience is evolving, starting weeks earlier for almost two thirds of customers. A more informed and less instinctive approach that also leads companies to evolve their offers with 75% of online consumers buying on the basis of the cheapest price. Promotions and discounts are key for 35.6% of users while less importance is given to product features. Alongside fashion and technology, there is growing interest in categories such as travel, cosmetics, home and lifestyle products that are more related to an experience.