Leuven, 07.12.2023

Black Friday 2023: Belgians spent 145 million euros

As the consumer technology, durable goods, and homewares markets navigated the challenges of 2023, hopes were high for a transformative Black Friday week. Newly released sales data from GfK's point-of-sale retail intelligence, reveals a robust performance in the Belgian consumer technology market with sales of €145 million, marking an impressive 8% increase compared to the same period last year. The hero product is Deep Fryers, emerged with an +81% year-on-year sales.

Discover the Black Friday Belgium 2023 infographic

Week Prior to Black Friday unleashes remarkable growth in sales

In Week 47, sales increased by an impressive 8%, a substantial increase considering that in 2022, sales remained static compared to 2021. The evolution of Black Friday is clearly visible, expanding its influence beyond a single week of promotions to encompass the entire month of November. The pre-Black Friday week initiated a robust growth trend compared to the previous year. Once again, this year witnessed a remarkable boost in the week leading up to the official Black Friday week, with Week 46 showcasing sales of €105 million—an extraordinary 22.7% increase from 2022.

In stark contrast, consumer spending experienced a decline of -11% in Italy and -1.3% in France this year. Meanwhile, the Netherlands saw a positive trend, with spending increasing by +1.1%, and also the UK experienced a rise of +1.2%.

Source: GfK Market Intelligence: Sales Tracking, Comparable selection of retailers across reported periods.

Growth in small household appliances and consumer electronics

During the Black Friday week, standout performers include Deep Fryers with an impressive +81%, Visual Cams capturing attention with a remarkable +50%, and Hair Stylers with a +47% surge in popularity. Deep Fryers were not in the top 3 of last year at all, the biggest climber last year was Electric Heating. The popularity of the Deep Fryer can be attributed to the remarkable increase of its sub-segment, the Hot Air Fryer, experiencing an impressive uplift of 104%.

Source: GfK Market Intelligence: Sales Tracking, Comparable selection of retailers across reported periods.

Online sales shares declined

The overall online sales of technical consumer goods experienced a slight dip of -1% compared to 2022. The driving force behind this shift is Telecom, registering a -3% decline in sales, impacting the overall trend. Meanwhile, small domestic appliances, major domestic appliances, and consumer goods—steal the spotlight with a remarkable surge in sales.

The biggest increases within online small domestic appliances are Deep Fryers (85%), Hot Air Fryers (+97%) and Hair Stylers (78%). The biggest increases within online major domestic appliances are tumble dryers (+31%), dishwashers (+23%), Built in hobs (+22%) and microwave ovens (+24%).

Discover the Black Friday Belgium 2023 infographic

Note for the press

For more information, please contact: Tamara De Lange, Marketing Manager Benelux GfK, E-mail: tamara.delange@gfk.com

About GfK – an NIQ Company 

For over 89 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights - delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms - GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information visit www.gfk.com.