Black Friday is a commercial operation that falls every year in November. For families, this is an opportunity to take advantage of advantageous promotions just before Christmas. What is the date in France in 2023? Which sites and stores participate? What are the scams to avoid? We take stock.
In November, the Black-Friday is an unmissable commercial event. Straight from the United States, he settled in France a few years ago. During Black Friday, e-commerce sites and physical stores offer unbeatable discounts on their products, sometimes at knockdown prices. Discounted products cover most areas: home appliance, cosmetics, ready-to-wear, shoes, decoration, games and toys, IT, telephony, DIY… For consumers and families, Black Friday is an advantageous operation. They can do very good business without spending too much money and often they take the opportunity to anticipate their Christmas shopping or gifts for future birthdays. For others, Black Friday is an opportunity to (re)equip their home, especially if a washing machine, a coffee maker or even a television has just gone.
In principle, Black Friday lasts only one day, the time of a Friday. But in France, merchants and e-commerce sites sometimes take the opportunity to extend the event for a few additional days, i.e. several days before, it is called “Black Week”, or during the weekend following Friday.
When does Black Friday start and end in 2023?
Usually, and as the name suggests, Black Friday takes place on the last Friday of November. In 2023, Black Friday will officially take place on Friday November 24 at midnight on the Internet and as soon as the physical stores open. For some brands, Black Friday ends the same day, but not for all. For some years now, Black Friday has extended over the weekend and ends with Cyber Monday, another day dedicated to promotions and deals. Cyber Monday will fall Monday, November 27, 2023.
Black Friday was initiated in the United States in the 1950s. It is a custom that follows an emblematic holiday for Americans, namely Thanksgiving. In French, this day translates as “black Friday”. It’s called that because the proposed cuts are so big that at the time traders’ books went from red, in other words deficit, to black, they were making a profit again.
What are the scams to avoid on Black Friday?
At the time of Black Friday on the Internet, scams are numerous. Among the most recurrent scams, there are SMS warning you of an advantageous promotion on a particular brand or site if you click on the link mentioned in the message. Some screen sites also pretend to be brands or brands and display dizzying promotions. So always remember to go directly to the official website of the sign or brand, this is where official promotions are displayed.
When you make purchases on the Internet, you may be confronted without realizing it with certain scams or fraudulent sites. It is therefore important to take a few precautions to make secure purchases online. Benoit Grunemwald, cybersecurity expert at ESET France, shares his advice:
- Beware of overly attractive offers : a too low promotion can in some cases hide a scam. Check if the site is reliable and if other promotions of this type have already been made or are available on other merchant sites.
- Use a secure connection : it is better to favor secure networks such as your home network from home or professional from your office to make purchases online. Thanks to these networks, some fraudulent sites can be blocked. Also consider using devices that have recently been updated.
- Check site URLs : if the URL of the merchant site seems suspicious, because it contains strange signs, a name that has nothing to do with the site or because the extension of the domain (the most popular .fr and .com) are different so beware. Also look in detail at the content of the site, if it is a renowned commercial site there should not be a priori any spelling errors that are obvious. Check if at the beginning of the URL of your site there is a padlock: this is a sign that the site is secure.
- Read shipping and return policies : to check if returns or refunds are possible in case of defective or counterfeit items.
- Review your bank statements : during Black Friday but also the end of the year or sales periods, remember to check the activity of your bank account. If fraud is detected quickly, you will have a better chance of being compensated by your bank.
What online sites do Black Friday?
In France, many online sites participate in Black Friday. Many sectors are involved, like the big brands of household appliances, cultural products, ready-to-wear and make-up. Among the regular participants, we find the sites: Fnac, Boulanger, Darty, Amazon, Conforama, Alinéa, Cdiscount, La Redoute, Zalando, Sephora, Marionnaud etc.
Which stores do Black Friday?
Physical stores also do Black Friday for the most part. In stores, you can find very good deals, especially in supermarkets, household appliances, ready-to-wear, furniture and decoration, but also in shops that sell cultural products or make-up, such as Auchan, Conforama, Carrefour, Sephora, Marionnaud, Alinéa, Fnac, Darty etc.