Despite the easing headline inflation, 44.4 per cent of Nigerian consumers spent nothing on Black Friday deals in 2025. This is according to findings from the BusinessDay Talk Exchange Polls on Black Friday purchases among Nigerians.
The survey shows that only 30.8 per cent spent N100,000 or above on black Friday deals. About 23 per cent spent between N20,000 and N100,000 on Black Friday purchases, while 4 per cent spent between N0 and N20,000.
Even though headline inflation has eased year on year from 34.60% in November 2024 to 14.45% in November 2025 (after the rebasing), 52 per cent of respondents say they spent less on Black Friday purchases in 2025 compared to 2024. About 11 per cent say their spending stayed almost the same, year on year.
The poll, conducted online, received responses from over 100 Nigerian respondents across several states. Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Delta, and FCT.
Electronics and gadgets top the charts for most likely purchases during Black Friday, with 62.5 per cent of respondents identifying it as their most likely purchase. About 17 percent of respondents chose fashion items and accessories as their most likely purchase, while 4 per cent went for online subscriptions.
The survey further reveals that about 60 per cent of Nigerians shop Black Friday deals online, 18.5 per cent seek out discounts in physical stores and malls, while 22.2 per cent do not shop Black Friday deals at all.
Findings from the poll also showed that many consumers are boycotting Black Friday deals over what they described as unattractive discounts. About 52% of respondents say they no longer consider the prices to be discounted during Black Friday sales, 19% are just not interested in shopping Black Friday deals this year, while 14.3% are constrained by tight budgets and unable to spend this year. About 38.5 per cent of the respondents believe that Black Friday deals are now more about marketing, not about offering discounts to customers.
Several respondents shared their experiences, noting that online vendors often exaggerate the discounts, even when they are still around the average market price. Mrs Emmanuella Okonji, a secondary school teacher in Lagos State, told BusinessDay that her experience has shown her that there was no need to wait till Black Friday to make major purchases, as many vendors still do not offer significant discounts.
She recounted;
Ms Monica Pere, a vendor who runs an Instagram store selling perfumes and scented candles, confirmed in a chat with BusinessDay that such scenarios sometimes play out. She noted that as a small business owner, the end goal was to make a profit, and offering steep discounts just to make sales may be counterproductive.
She pointed out that most vendors are already trading with slim margins and cannot afford to give the kind of discounts people look for during Black Friday sales.