As Black Friday sees a flurry of discounts in electronics, clothing, and cosmetics, supermarket chains, with few exceptions, are notably absent from offering special deals on groceries. Instead, promotions are centered around toiletries, clothing, toys, and other non-food items.

The unexpected absence of food discounts during Black Friday stands out, and according to Monika Kopčilová, a product specialist from the comparator Kupi.cz, any food-related discounts are minimal. Lidl is an exception, offering Black Friday discounts on groceries, such as butter, toast, bread, sweets, and wine, at rates of 30 or 40 percent. However, these discounts come with conditions, requiring the activation of a coupon in the loyalty app and a purchase exceeding 300 crowns, valid for a single day.

Jiří Mareček, spokesperson for Albert, highlighted the difference in promotional strategies for groceries compared to non-food items and electronics. While non-food items have their dedicated Black Friday, Albert opts for weekly flyers featuring hundreds of items at promotional prices, a strategy focused on regular promotional activity.

Other supermarket chains feature discounts on selected groceries in their standard weekly flyers but have refrained from incorporating groceries into special Black Friday promotions. This decision may be influenced by recent retail sales trends, with a more substantial decline observed in essential goods like electronics or clothing. Retailers may be strategically aiming to reverse this trend in the lead-up to the Christmas season.

Interestingly, food items have witnessed significant price increases over the last two years, making them one of the costlier components in the consumer basket. With persistent economic uncertainty, supermarkets might be missing a significant opportunity to stimulate sales by excluding groceries from their Black Friday promotions, especially considering the traditional boost in consumer spending during the holiday season.

Article by Prague Forum