Black Friday in Palma, Mallorca

Discounts were generally higher than in previous years. | Jaume Morey

Andrew EdePalma24/11/2023 16:30
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Pedro Mesquida, who runs a clothing store in central Palma, said that Black Friday had gone badly for him. In his opinion, it was a mistake to have turned on the Christmas lights the evening before. "They should have done it at the same time, as we would all have then been able to benefit from the influx of people."

Other retailers weren't as downbeat. At jewellers La Joyería Siglo XXI, for instance, they started offering discounts two Saturdays ago. Because of this, they hadn't expected as many customers as there were. The shop had Black Friday discounts of 60% and 70%, higher than the majority.

The typical range was 30% to 50%, the discounts generally more than they have been in previous years. At Cortinas Quintana there was 30% off. In the past it has been 20%.

The impression was that the day had started more slowly than usual. It took until midday for the streets to get busy. But customer traffic rather depended on the shop. At one franchise, two friends had to queue for forty minutes, and the discounts they paid were lower - ten to fifteen per cent.

Even with discounts, a view was that prices were higher than before. Inflation was probably the reason. Nevertheless, the discounts were welcome, especially for winter clothing. The weather having turned a bit chilly, Black Friday had come at an opportune moment.

Some retailers, like Pedro Mesquida, were underwhelmed. Should the Christmas lights have been switched on the same day as Black Friday? When explaining the decision for this year's lights, Palma town hall cited security. There could have been too many people if it had been the same day.