The countdown to Black Friday on Friday, 27 November, and Cyber Monday on Monday, 30 November, is already under way, with retailers preparing for the events and businesses planning their commercial strategies.
Major department stores, retail chains and online shops are already organising their campaigns, seeking to make the most of one of the year’s biggest discount periods.
At the same time, Greek consumers are showing a greater appetite for shopping, with many planning their spending, monitoring prices and looking for opportunities to buy products at lower prices. Technology, electrical and electronic appliances, clothing, footwear and homeware are expected to attract the most interest, with hopes of finding attractive prices driving activity in the market.
Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, EY has studied Greek consumers’ intentions for the third year running as part of its major annual survey, the Future Consumer Index Greece 2026. According to Thanos Mavros, EY Greece Partner and EY’s Retail and Consumer Products Leader for Southeast Europe, who spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the share of consumers who said they planned to shop during the events reached 67% this year, up from 50% two years ago.
“This is certainly a positive signal for the retail sector, particularly at a time when consumers are under pressure, and shows that these discount events have become a focal point,” Mr Mavros said.
However, one significant finding of EY’s survey, Mr Mavros said, is that “quite a few consumers view the discounts during these events with some scepticism”. Specifically, 43% of respondents are unsure whether Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts and offers are genuine, while 24% find that the products they are interested in are rarely included in the offers. “This sends an important message to all businesses: trust is the cornerstone of their relationships with customers. That requires greater and meaningful transparency, so consumers can verify that they will get real value from their purchases during these discount events,” Mr Mavros said.
For his part, Achilleas Arvanitis, EY Greece Partner and Head of EY Studio+ in Greece and the Europe Central region, told AMNA that the survey found consumers differ in how they choose to shop, whether in physical stores or online.
According to Mr Arvanitis, online shopping appears to have a slight edge, although one in five consumers plan to use both channels for their Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases. Another notable finding is that 18% of 18- to 29-year-olds, compared with 12% of all respondents, say they will turn to international online stores or marketplaces.
“Businesses are therefore called on to make use of the technology available to them today to reach consumers with targeted strategies tailored to the different needs, preferences and expectations of each consumer group,” Mr Arvanitis said, adding: “At the same time, it is important for them to recognise that, in the new retail landscape taking shape, discount events are part of a single customer journey, regardless of the channel consumers choose for their purchases. This requires a consistent presence across all customer touchpoints, with a shared approach, consistent communications and a seamless shopping experience, whether in a physical or digital setting.”
How much Greek consumers plan to spend
What will Greek consumers buy this year, and how much are they prepared to spend? The first wave of EY Greece’s major consumer survey, conducted in partnership with MRB and titled EY Future Consumer Index Greece 2026, shows that Greeks are more inclined to shop during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. Two in three consumers (67%, up from 63% last year and 50% in 2024) plan to shop during the events, rising to 72% among 18- to 29-year-olds and 76% among those aged 30 to 39.
Among those planning to shop, half will make purchases they had already planned: 26% said they would have made them later anyway, while 25% said they had put off those purchases so they could make them during this period. Only one in five (19%) — and one in four among younger consumers (25%) — plan to make additional, unplanned purchases because of the offers.
Most consumers expect to spend between €100 and €500 across the two November discount events. Specifically, 39% said they would spend between €100 and €250, and 31% between €250 and €500, while 2% expect to spend more than €1,000.
Shoppers will mainly spend on clothing and accessories (61%, rising to 74% among 18- to 29-year-olds), technology products and electronic devices (59%) and electrical appliances (42%). To a lesser extent, consumers will opt for personal care and beauty products (31%, rising to 45% among women) and home and kitchenware (27%).
One in four respondents (25%) say they shop more on Black Friday and Cyber Monday for financial reasons, while 22% say they enjoy discount events and look forward to them with excitement.
43% of respondents are sceptical about whether the discounts and offers are genuine (45% in 2025), while 24% (30% last year) find that the products they are interested in are rarely included in the offers. Meanwhile, 23% say they can find good prices and offers throughout the year without relying on specific discount events, and 16% say they buy what they need when they need it.
A total of 15% say discount events prompt them to spend more than they had planned, while 14% feel that the pressure to consume during Black Friday and Cyber Monday leaves them tired or stressed.
In addition, EY’s survey highlights another significant finding: among those who said they were sceptical, 35% would like to see a product’s price history, 26% want a clear reference to its lowest price in the past 30 days, and 23% would like a best-price guarantee to increase their confidence in the offers.
Consumers are fairly evenly divided between physical and online stores, with online channels having a slight edge. Specifically, 35% plan to make most of their purchases from Greek or international online shops, while 5% will shop through apps or social media.
By comparison, 34% plan to make most of their purchases in physical stores, while a significant 21% say they will split their spending roughly equally between online and offline shopping.
With information from PE-MPE